Lochagos

Lochagos (Greek: Λοχαγός; abbreviated as Λγος) is used in the Greek language to mean "Captain". More precisely, it means "leader of a lochos".

Ancient Use

The term has been used since the times of Ancient Greece, where the place of the rank in the military hierarchy differed from city-state to city-state. For example, Xenophon reported that a lochagos of Sparta served under a polemarch. Aristotle reported that his counterpart in Athens served under a taxiarchos. In military manuals, the file is often called a lochos and as such its leader is also called a lochagos.^[1][2][3] Thus, the lochagos can also be the promachos protostates.

The rank of lochagos could also represent an officer roughly equivalent to that a Roman army centurion. The term was however also used by later writers to describe the civilian leader of a curia. The rank was still in use in the military of the Byzantine Empire.

Modern Use

In the modern Hellenic Army the rank is superior to an Ypolochagos (First Lieutenant) and inferior to an Tagmatarchis (Major). The insignia consists of three silver stars.

Rank insignia

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  Rank insignia of a Lochagos, 1908–1936

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  Rank insignia of a Lochagos, 1937–1968

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  Current rank insignia of a Lochagos, since 1968

References

Greek commissioned officer ranks
NATO code:	OF-1	OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9
Navy:	Simaioforos & Anthypoploiarchos	Ypoploiarchos	Plotarchis	Antiploiarchos	Ploiarchos	Archiploiarchos	Yponavarchos	Antinavarchos	Navarchos
Army:	Anthypolochagos & Ypolochagos	Lochagos	Tagmatarchis	Antisyntagmatarchis	Syntagmatarchis	Taxiarchos	Ypostratigos	Antistratigos	Stratigos
Air Force:	Anthyposminagos & Yposminagos	Sminagos	Episminagos	Antisminarchos	Sminarchos	Taxiarchos Aeroporias	Ypopterarchos	Antipterarchos	Pterarchos