InGreece,ephor (Greek:έφορος,romanized: ephoros,lit. 'overseer') is a title formerly given to the head of an archaeologicalephorate (εφορεία,ephoria), orarchaeological unit. It was first used in 1829 and continued in use for archaeological officers until 1982: the name "ephorate" continues to be used for archaeological units.
Most ephorates are responsible for a particular region of Greece. However, theEphorate of Underwater Antiquities has jurisdiction across the whole of Greece,[1] as does the Ephorate of Private Archaeological Collections, while two Ephorates ofPalaeoanthropology andSpeleology exist, one for northern and one for southern Greece.[2]
The title ofephor was first used in archaeological circles forAndreas Moustoxydis, who was appointed byIoannis Kapodistrias in October 1829 as 'Director and Ephor' of the firstnational archaeological museum, then on the island ofAegina.[3] In 1834, theGreek Archaeological Service was established by the Archaeological Law of 10/22 May,[4] which also formally established the position of Ephor General of Antiquities (Greek:Γενικὸς Ἔφορος τῶν Ἀρχαιοτήτων), first held byLudwig Ross after the abortive tenure of the architectAdolf Weissenberg.[5] Ross had previously held the title of 'Ephor' of Antiquities of thePeloponnese, from 1833.[6]
Until the mid-1870s, the Greek Archaeological Service consisted entirely of the Ephor General himself, sometimes supported by a personal assistant.[7] In 1871, the privately organisedArchaeological Society of Athens, which had taken on some of the state's responsibility for excavating and managing cultural heritage,[8] began to appoint its own travelling ephors, known as 'apostles'. The primary duties of these 'apostles' were to conduct archaeological work throughout Greece, to combatarchaeological looting and the illegal trade in antiquities, and to persuade citizens to hand over antiquities, particularly those acquired illegally, to the care of the state.[9] The first of these wasPanagiotis Stamatakis, whose work formed the basis for several public archaeological collections throughout Greece;[9] he was followed in 1874 by Athanasios Dimitriadis, in 1880 by Dimitrios Philios, in 1882 byChristos Tsountas, in 1884 by Vasilios Leonardos, in 1891 by Andreas Skias and in 1894 byKonstantinos Kourouniotis.[10] From the 1870s, the Archaeological Service began to employ its own ephors, expanding continuously until the early 1910s.[10] These ephors generally had responsibility for a particular region of Greece: Stamatakis, for example, was recruited in 1875 to oversee antiquities inCentral Greece.[11]
In 1909, following theGoudi coup and the so-called "mutiny of the superintendents" among the ephors of the Archaeological Service,[12] the Ephor GeneralPanagiotis Kavvadias was removed from office, and the post of Ephor General abolished.[13] Thereafter, the Archaeological Service gradually declined in prestige and independence; its leaders were entirely appointed from university professors, rather than officers of the service, until 1958. Following pressure from members of the Archaeological Service,John Papadimitriou was appointed to lead it,[14] initially with the title of director of antiquities, in August 1958. This coincided with a revival of the service's activities and status, and Papadimitriou was appointed to the revived position of Ephor General, in September 1961.[15]Christos Karouzos andSemni Karouzou were appointed to the same rank at the same time.[16] The title was occasionally used bySpyridon Marinatos, appointed to lead the Archaeological Service during theRegime of the Colonels, then abolished again in 1982.[17]
Though the title ofephorate remains for the regional units, the title ofephor remains out of use.[18] The professional head of the Greek Archaeological Service is typically referred to as the "director-general" or "General Inspector" of Antiquities.[19]
Before 2014, the archaeological ephorates of Greece were divided both by geographical region and the historical periods of the remains for which they were responsible. They were organised as follows:[20]
In 2014, under Presidential Decree no. 104, the regional ephorates were amalgamated into a single ephorate for each regional unit, covering all chronological periods.[21]
| Portrait | Ephor General of Antiquities | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![Adolf Weissenberg[note 1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNo_image.png) | Adolf Weissenberg[note 1] (1790–1840) | 1833 | September 1834[23] | Bavarian architect, appointed as 'ephor' for the antiquities of Greece by KingOtto of Greece. |
| Ludwig Ross (1806–1859) | 1834 | 1836[25] | German archaeologist and Classical scholar. The first to be appointed as Ephor General after the formal creation of the Ephorate under the Archaeological Law of 10/22 May.[26] |
 | Kyriakos Pittakis (1798–1863) | 1836 | 1863 | The first native Greek to hold the office. Styled as 'Ephor of the Central Public Museum' 1836–1843.[27] Responsible for the first excavation and restoration of theLion Gate atMycenae. |
| Panagiotis Efstratiadis (1815–1888) | 1864 | 1884 | Responsible for the construction of the firstAcropolis Museum. |
| Panagiotis Stamatakis (c.1840–1885) | 1884 | 1885 | Promoted barely a year before his death frommalaria. |
 | Panagiotis Kavvadias (1850–1928) | 1885 | 1909 | Directed the excavations ofEpidaurus. Post abolished after his removal from office. |
After the abolition of the position of Ephor General in 1909, the title was revived by the law 4177/1961 in 1961.[28] Three positions at the same rank were created simultaneously.[16]
| Portrait | Ephor General of Antiquities | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christos Karouzos (1900–1967) | 1961 | 17 August 1964[16] | |
| Semni Karouzou (1897–1994) | 1961 | 17 August 1964[16] | The first woman to be employed by the Greek Archaeological Service, and the only one to hold the rank of Ephor General. |
| John Papadimitriou (1904–1963) | 1961 | 1963 | Died in office. |
Under theRegime of the Colonels,Spyridon Marinatos was appointed as head of the Greek archaeological service, and sometimes used the title of Ephor General:[29]
| Portrait | Ephor General of Antiquities | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spyridon Marinatos (1901–1974) | 1967 | 1973 | Sacked byDimitrios Ioannidis after the latter seized power in November 1973. |
The rank of Ephor General was formally abolished once again by the law 1232/1982 in 1982.[17]
As of 2022,[update] the regional ephorates of the Greek Archaeological Service are as follows:[30]
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