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{{Short description|Greek word meaning "leader of the ships"}}
{{Refimprove|date=April 2019}}
'''Navarch''' ({{langx|el|[[wikt:ναύαρχος|ναύαρχος]]}}, {{transl|el|návarchos}}) is an [[Anglicisation]] of a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modern [[admiral]]. Also this status was very valuable in Ancient Greece.
== Historical usage ==
{{Main|Spartan navarch}}
Not all states gave their naval commanders such a title. [[Athens]], for instance, placed its fleet under the command of generals (''[[strategos|strategoi]]'') holding the same title as those who commanded its land forces. Such command structures reflected the fact that, especially early in the Classical period, fleets operated in close conjunction with land forces, and indeed, the title of navarch did not begin to appear until the time of the [[Peloponnesian War]], when fleets began to operate more independently. This separate title was originally used in cities that lacked an established naval tradition, [[Sparta]] being the most prominent, but entered broader use later, being adopted by the navies of the [[Hellenistic period]] states such as [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedon]], [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]], the [[Seleucid Empire]], the [[Achaean League]], and [[Rhodes#Hellenistic and Roman periods|Rhodes]].
At Sparta and many other city-states, the position was held for one year only (a situation that compelled the Spartans to resort to an elaborate legal fiction when they wished to reinstate [[Lysander]] for more than one year in command). Admirals of despotic or monarchic states, however, could serve for years at a time. At Sparta, the position, unlike most high-level offices, was available to men from outside the [[Spartiate]] class; Lysander, the most famous occupant of the office, was a beneficiary of this rule.
The [[Romanisation of Greek|Latinisation]] ''{{lang|la|nauarchus}}'' was used by the [[Roman navy]] for its squadron commanders. The Greek-speaking [[Byzantine navy|Byzantines]] sometimes used the term to designate the captains of ships; the terms ''[[drungarios]]'' or ''{{transl|grc|strategos}}'' were used to designate their admirals.
== Modern Greece ==
[[File:Greek Navy Admiral Flag.svg|150px|thumb|right|Rank flag of a {{transl|el|návarchos}}.]]
In the modern [[Hellenic Navy]], {{transl|el|návarchos}} is the highest rank, equivalent to full admiral. All but one of the remaining [[flag officer|flag ranks]] are also derivations of this word: {{transl|el|antinávarchos}} ({{lang|el|αντιναύαρχος}}, 'deputy-admiral') is the equivalent to [[vice admiral]] and {{transl|el|yponávarchos}} ({{lang|el|υποναύαρχος}}, 'under-admiral'), equivalent to [[rear admiral]], while {{transl|el|archiploíarchos}} is the equivalent of [[Commodore (rank)|commodore]]. The same ranks are also used by the [[Hellenic Coast Guard]].
The rank of full admiral is held in active service only by the Chief of the [[Hellenic National Defense General Staff|General Staff of National Defence]], when he is a naval officer, and customarily given to the Chiefs of the [[Hellenic Navy General Staff]], who normally carry the rank of vice admiral, on retirement.
Under the [[Greek monarchy]], the [[five-star rank]] of {{transl|el|archinávarchos}} ({{lang|el|αρχιναύαρχος}}), equivalent to [[grand admiral]] or [[admiral of the fleet]], was introduced in 1939. It was held [[ex officio]] by the reigning monarch, who also held the equivalent ranks in the army and air force. Only kings [[George II of Greece|George II]], [[Paul of Greece|Paul]] and [[Constantine II of Greece|Constantine II]] held the rank.
{{Greece officer ranks}}
== See also ==
* {{Annotated link|Polemarch}}
== References ==
*Hornblower, Simon, and Anthony Spawforth ed., ''The Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (Oxford University Press, 2003) {{ISBN|0-19-866172-X}}
[[Category:Hellenic Navy]]
[[Category:Military ranks of ancient Greece]]
[[Category:Military ranks of Greece]]
[[Category:Military ranks of ancient Macedon]]
[[Category:Naval ranks]]