Navarch

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Navarch is 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. Not all states gave their naval commanders such a title; Athens, for instance, placed its fleet under the command of generals (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. The title was generally used in cities that lacked an established naval tradition, Sparta being the most prominent; other notable states to establish the office included Syracuse, Ptolemaic Egypt, the Achaean League, and 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 outsided the Spartiate class; Lysander, the most famous occupant of the office, was a beneficiary of this rule.