Archon basileus (Ancient Greek:ἄρχων βασιλεύς,árchōn basileús) was aGreek title, meaning "king magistrate"; the term is derived from the wordsarchon "magistrate" andbasileus "king" or "sovereign".
Most modern scholars claim that inClassical Athens, thearchon basileus was the last remnant of monarchy. Although much of his powers, they say, had been filtered away to other institutions such as theAreopagus and later theBoule andEcclesia, he still nominally held a high position in Athenian society, alongside thearchon eponymos and thepolemarchos. Thearchon basileus was charged with overseeing the organisation of religious rites and with presiding over trials for homicide.[1] The archon basileus was thehigh priest of the city-state.
There is a tradition that originally thearchon basileus was elected from the Athenian aristocracy every ten years. After 683 BC, the office was only held for a year, and afterSolon's reforms, he was elected from the wealthiest Athenians, thePentakosiomedimnoi (Πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι), "500-bushel men", rather than theEupatridae (the aristocratic families). After 487 BC, the archonships were assigned by lot.
It is believed thearchon basileus's wife, thebasilinna, had to marry and have intercourse with the godDionysos during a festival at the Boukoleion in Athens, to ensure the city's safety.[2] It is uncertain how this was enacted. However, this was an important role for a woman who, according toPlutarch and Solon, would otherwise be confined to the house and be of little importance.
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