N.B. A word in italics is a transliteration of a non-English word with diacritic markings where appropriate. See the notes below for examples of usage.
An asterisk before an italicized word (e.g. *sparabarā) indicates that it is an unattested word. In other words, it is a word that does not actually survive in a particular language, but is reasonably theorized to have existed in that language.
Unless otherwise noted, words are given in the format: Singlular / Plural.
aka = also known as.
akōn (ἄκων) / akontes (ἄκοντες) = a javelin.
akontistēs (ἀκοντιστής) / akontistai (ἀκοντισταί) = a javelineer.
Amphiktyones (Ἀμφικτύονες), plural = members of the Amphiktyony. The word is often anglicized as Amphiktyons, unnecessarily so in my opinion.
Amphiktyonia (Ἀμφικτυονία) aka Amphiktyoneia (Ἀμφικτυονεία), singular = Amphiktyony, the league of states that administered the temple of Demeter Amphiktyonis (‘who dwells nearby’) at Anthele and the oracle of Apollo Pythios at Delphi. The Amphiktyony is frequently referred to as the Amphiktyonic League by modern authors.
aristokratēs (ἀριστοκράτης) / aristokratai (ἀριστοκράται) = an aristocrat. Interestingly, while the term aristokratia was commonly used, the term aristokratēs was not. Instead ancient authors commonly referred to aristocrats as the beltistoi (most excellent), gnōrimoi (distinguished), kaloi kagathoi (beautiful/noble well-born), and kratistoi (strongest, most excellent). Of course, most ancient Greek authors were aristocrats themselves!
aristokratia (ἀριστοκρατία) / aristokratiai (ἀριστοκρατίαι) = an aristocracy; literally ‘power of the best’.
arkhōn (ἄρχων) / arkhontes (ἄρχοντες) = a leader, ruler, commander, chief magistrate.
arkhos (ἀρχός) / arkhoi (ἀρχοί) = an alternate spelling of arkhōn.
aspis (ἀσπίς) / aspides (ἀσπίδες) = a large shield with a rim also called a hoplon; aspis was the most common term used for the large heavy shield carried by a hoplite as well as the smaller heavy shield carried by a Makedonian phalangite.
basileus (βασιλεύς) / basileis (βασιλεῖς) = a king, but also a magistrate.
BCE = Before the Common Era; a secular version of BC (Before Christ).
Boiōtarkhēs (Βοιωτάρχης) / Boiōtarkhai (Βοιωτάρχαι) = one of the chief officers of the Boiotian League; known as a Boiotarch in English.
boulē (βουλή) / boulai (βουλαί) = a council or senate.
Ca. = Circa (Latin for ‘around, about’).
CE = Common Era; a secular version of AD (Anno Domini).
dēmokratia (δημοκρατία) / dēmokratiai (δημοκρατίαι) = a democracy; literally ‘power of the people’.
dēmos (δῆμος) / dēmoi (δῆμοι) = a district, country, land, people, commons, commoner, rank and file, the sovereign people, the popular assembly.
dioikismos (διοικισμός) / dioikismoi (διοικισμοί) = breaking up a settlement, dispersal to villages; called dioecism in English. The verb is dioikizein (διοικίζειν), which is Anglicized as dioikize or dioecize.
doru (δόρυ) / dorata (δόρατα) = a shaft of a spear, hence a spear itself.
doryphoros (δορυφόρος) / doryphoroi (δορυφόροι) = a spearman, especially a bodyguard of a king or tyrant.
drakhmē (δραχμή) / drakhmai (δραχμαί) = an ancient Greek coin called a drachma in English from the Latin spelling of the word. The plural form in English is generally drachmas.
eilē (εἴλη) / eilai (εἶλαι) = an alternate spelling of ilē.
ephoros (ἔφορος) / ephoroi (ἔφοροι) = an overseer or magistrate; called an ephor in English.
greave = see knēmis.
heilōs (εἵλως) / heilōtes (εἵλωτες) = a Spartan serf; called a helot in English.
Hellēnikon (Ἑλληνικόν) / Hellēnika (Ἑλληνικά) = Greek [affairs]; similar to Canadiana, Americana, etc.
helot = see heilōs.
hieromnēmōn (ἱερομνήμων) / hieromnēmones (ἱερομνήμονες) = ‘one mindful of sacred things’; a representative sent to the council of the Amphiktyony; a religious magistrate.
hipparkhos (ἵππαρχος) / hipparkhoi (ἵππαρχοι) = a cavalry commander; known as a hipparch in English.
hippeus (ἱππεύς) / hippeis (ἱππεῖς) = a horseman or knight.
hippokomos (ἱπποκόμος) / hippokomoi (ἱπποκόμοι) = a groom.
hippos (ἵππος), always in singular = cavalry.
hippos (ἵππος) / hippoi (ἵπποι) = a horse.
hippotoxotēs (ἱπποτοξότης) / hippotoxotai (ἱπποτοξόται) = a horse-archer.
hoplitēs (ὁπλίτης) / hoplitai (ὁπλῖται) = a heavily armed infantry spearman; known as a hoplite in English.
hoplon (ὅπλον) / hopla (ὅπλα) = a tool, implement, ship’s tackle, implement of war, arms & armour, or large heavy shield.
hypēkoos (ὑπήκοος) / hypēkooi (ὑπήκοοι) = a subject (in the sense of a subservient individual or group).
ilarkhēs (ἰλάρχης) / ilarkhai (ἰλάρχαι ?) = a commander of an ilē.
ilarkhos (ἴλαρχος) / ilarkhoi (ἴλαρχοι) = an alternate spelling of ilarkhēs.
ilē (ἴλη) / ilai (ἶλαι) = a troop of horsemen; also a band or company of men or boys.
knēmis (κνημίς) / knēmides (κνημῖδες) = a greave or legging.
koinon (κοινόν) / koina (κοινά) = a state, league, or federation.
kopis (κοπίς) / kopides (κοπίδες) = a chopper, cleaver, broad curved knife, or cavalry sabre.
kranos (κράνος) / kranea (κράνεα) = a helmet.
lokhagos (λοχαγός) / lokhagoi (λοχαγοί) = a commander of a company; a captain.
lokhos (λόχος) / lokhoi (λόχοι) = a place for lying in wait; an ambuscade; any armed body of troops of infantry rarely of cavalry; a company of troops.
makhaira (μάχαιρα) / makhairai (μάχαιραι) = a knife, dagger, short sword, or cavalry sabre.
Mēdizō (Μηδίζω) = to take the side of the Medes or Persians; to medize in English. For example: “Herodotos gave no further details about the medizing Greeks.”.
oligarkhēs (ὀλιγάρχης) / oligarkhai (ὀλιγάρχαι) = an oligarch or member of a oligarchy.
oligarkhia (ὀλιγαρχία) / oligarkhiai (ὀλιγαρχίαι) = an oligarchy; literally ‘rule by the ὀλίγος (few)’, who were almost always the wealthy.
OP = the Old Persian language of the Achaimenian Persians.
palton (παλτόν) / palta (παλτά) = a missile or dart; a light spear/javelin primarily used by Persian cavalry.
peltastēs (πελταστής) / peltastai (πελτασταί) = one who carries a light shield, a targeteer; called a peltast in English.
peltē (πέλτη) / peltai (πέλται) = a small light shield.
penestēs (πενέστης) / penestai (πενέσται) = a serf in Thessaly.
periēgētēs (περιηγητής) / periēgētai (περιηγηταί) = a guide or author of geographical descriptions.
perioikos (περίοικος) / perioikoi (περίοικοι) = a ‘dweller around’. The perioikoi were free Lakedaimonian citizens, who dwelt in the towns around Sparta and served in the army along with the Spartiatai. However, the perioikoi had no vote in matters of state.
phalangitēs (φαλαγγίτης) / phalangitai (φαλαγγίται) = a soldier who fights in a phalanx; a phalangite. In English, the term phalangite is most often used for an infantry pikeman fighting in a Makedonian style phalanx whereas the term hoplite is most often used for a Greek heavy infantry spearman fighting in a phalanx.
phalanx (φάλαγξ) / phalanges (φάλαγγες) = the line of battle, battle-array, most often used for heavy infantry in battle-order.
polemarkhos (πολέμαρχος) / polemarkhoi (πολέμαρχοι) = a war leader; called a polemarch in English.
polis (πόλις) / poleis (πόλεις) = a city-state. There were approximately 1,500 ancient Greek poleis spread across the Mediterranean. There are 1,035 poleis listed in An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis (2004).
proxenos (πρόξενος) / proxenoi (πρόξενοι) = an individual representing the interests of a foreign state in their own community.
pteryx (πτέρυξ) / pteryges (πτέρυγες) = a wing of a bird; a winged creature such as a bird; a flight, augury, omen; or a flap on a cuirass.
Pythia (Πυθία), singular = the priestess of Apollo Pythios at Delphi.
Pythia (Πύθια), singular = the games celebrated at Delphi in honour of Apollo Pythios; called the Pythian Games in English.
*sparabara (OP: *sparabara) / *sparabarā (OP: *sparabarā) = a wicker shield bearer. An unattested Old Persian word derived from the ancient Greek lexicographer Hesychios of Alexandreia, who probably lived in the fifth century CE. Hesychios stated that the word sparabarai (σπαραβάραι) was equivalent to gerrhophoroi (γερροφόροι), the common ancient Greek word for wicker shield bearers. This is the only mention of the word σπαραβάραι in ancient Greek literature. Unfortunately, we do not know which ancient Greek author(s) used the term σπαραβάραι nor in what context. Nonetheless, σπαραβάραι is surely a Greek transliteration of an Old Persian word, which can be reasonably reconstructed as *sparabarā. Though the word *sparabarā does not appear anywhere in surviving Old Persian literature, there are several known -bara compound words—such as takabara (‘hat wearing’), arshtibara (‘spear bearer’), vatsabara (‘bow bearer’), and asabara (‘horse borne’ i.e. horseman)—which lend support to the highly credible theory that the ancient Greek word σπαραβάραι was derived from an Old Persian word reconstructed as *sparabarā.
stratēgos (στρατηγός) / stratēgoi (στρατηγοί) = a general.
symmakhos (σύμμαχος) / symmakhoi (σύμμαχοι) = an ally.
synedrion (συνέδριον) / synedria (συνέδρια and συνεδρία) = a council; a congress of allies.
synoikismos (συνοικισμός) / synoikismoi (συνοικισμοί) = moving together; the relocation of one or more communities either to a newly built settlement or a pre-existing settlement; called synoikism or synoecism in English. The verb is synoikizein (συνοικίζειν), which is Anglicized as synoikize or synoecize.
syntaxis (σύνταξις) / syntaxeis (συντάξεις) = an arrangement, organization, or system; arranging in battle order, thus organized ranks.
tagos (ταγός) / tagoi (ταγοί) = a commander, ruler, or chief. In Thessaly, the word tagos was one of the terms used for the federal commander of the Thessalian koinon (but it is not attested in this sense prior to Jason of Pherai) as well as the title of lower level magistrates.
takabara (OP: takabara) / takabarā (OP: takabarā) (1) = ‘hat wearing’ or ‘light shield bearing’. An Old Persian word that appears in several Old Persian inscriptions of Achaimenian kings such as Darius I the Great (DNa 29, DNe 26, and DSm 10-11) and Artaxerxes II or III (A?P 26 aka A2Pa 26). In all cases, it appears as an adjective modifying the noun Yaunā (Ionians, i.e. Greeks). The meaning of takabara is highly problematic. The most widely accepted theory amongst scholars is ‘hat wearing’ whereas in wargaming circles the popular conjecture is ‘light shield bearing’. Both of these theories creatively utilize the Babylonian translation of Yaunā takabarā as ‘Greeks wearing shields on their heads’ for support. It should be noted that on Achaimenian Persian royal tombs the label Yaunā takabarā is attached to reliefs depicting Greeks wearing hats and without shields.
takabara (OP: takabara) / takabarā (OP: takabarā) (2) = One of the theories regarding the meaning of the Old Persian word takabara is that it means ‘light shield bearing’ (see above). That theory is very speculative, but it is certainly worthy of consideration. However, there is absolutely no evidence supporting the astonishing followup theory that takabarā were Persian infantry with light shields! In the tiny selection of surviving Old Persian inscriptions, the term takabara—whatever it means—is always applied to Greeks and only to Greeks! Clearly, that may either be significant or simply coincidental. In any case, it surely is a galactic leap of speculation to theorize that takabarā were a type of Persian infantry when in truth we don’t know what takabara meant nor if the word was ever applied to the Persians themselves! Of course, this wildly speculative, followup theory—teetering precariously on top of another theory—is possible, but so would be the following. Let us suppose for a moment that a tentative theory that takabara meant ‘wearing gay clothing’ in Old Persian led us to believe that Yaunā takabarā meant ‘homosexual Greeks’. In that case, the Babylonian translation ‘Greeks wearing shields on their heads’ could be imaginatively interpreted to indicate that the Greeks were a really queer dressing bunch! Following up this speculative theory that takabara meant ‘wearing gay clothing’, we could further speculate that takabara was the name of a military unit of Persian homosexuals somewhat along the lines of the famous Theban Sacred Band. In my humble opinion, this followup theory would be just as outrageous and unacceptable as is the popular followup theory that takabarā were Persian infantry with light shields. All in all, wargamers should stop using the term takabarā as the name of a type of Persian infantry. That usage is totally groundless.
talanton (tάλαντον) / talanta (tάλαντα) = a talent was a weight of precious metal; in other words a denomination of money. An Attic talent weighed 26 kg. An Attic talent of silver was roughly equivalent to 9 years of labour by a skilled worker. There were 6,000 drachmas in an Attic talent.
tetrarkhēs (τετράρχης) / tetrarkhai (τετράρχαι) = a governor or commander of a tetrarkhia or tetras; called a tetrarch in English. Also see: tetrarkhos.
tetrarkhia (τετραρχία) / tetrarkhiai (τετραρχίαι) = one of four districts; also, a small military unit consisting of four lokhoi totalling 64 men; called a tetrarchy in English.
tetrarkhos (τέτραρχος) / tetrarkhoi (τέτραρχοι) = an alternate spelling of tetrarkhēs.
tetras (τετράς) / tetrades (τετράδες ?) = one of four districts.
thōrax (θώραξ) / thōrakes (θώρακες) = a cuirass or breastplate.
triērēs (τριήρης) / triēreis (τριήρεις) = a trireme; a warship with 3 banks of oars
tyrannos (τύραννος) / tyrannoi (τύραννοι) = a tyrant or absolute ruler unlimited by law or constitution, but not necessarily bad.
xiphos (ξίφος) / xiphē (ξίφη) = a sword; generally a straight sword.
NOTES
As mentioned above, a word in italics is a transliteration of a non-English word with diacritic markings where appropriate. For example, arkhōn is the transliteration of ἄρχων with the ō representing the Greek letter omega (ω) and perioikoi is the transliteration of περίοικοι.
In normal sentences on my blog pages, I use transliterations for non-English terms. For example: “The perioikoi captured the arkhōn.”
My principal sources for the spelling of ancient words are:
- A Greek–English Lexicon: With a Supplement 1968. Compiled by Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott. New (9th) Edition. Revised and augmented thoughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1973.
- Kent, Roland G. Old Persian: Grammar, Texts, Lexicon. Second Edition, Revised. (American Oriental Series, volume 33). New Haven, Connecticut: American Oriental Society, 1953.
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