Editing Military rank (section)

=== Greek ===
From 501 BC, the [[Athenians]] annually elected ten individuals to the rank of ''[[strategos]]'',<ref>{{Citation |last=Rhodes |first=Peter J. (Durham) |title=Strategos |date=2006-10-01 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/strategos-e1123850 |work=Brill's New Pauly |publisher=Brill |language=en |access-date=2022-04-01 |last2=Ameling |first2=Walter (Jena) |last3=Tinnefeld |first3=Franz (Munich) |archive-date=2022-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401224133/https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/strategos-e1123850 |url-status=live }}</ref> one for each of the ten "tribes" that had been created with the founding of the [[democracy]]. ''Strategos'' means "army leader"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of STRATEGUS |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strategus |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529222614/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strategus |url-status=live }}</ref> and is usually translated as "[[general]]". Originally these generals worked together with the old ''[[polemarch]]os'' ("warlord") but over time the latter figure was absorbed into the generalship: each of the ten generals would rotate as ''polemarch'' for one day, and during this day his vote would serve as tie-breaker if necessary.

As an elected official a Strategos is by definition not a military rank. Strategos is a Political Rank in a Hierarchical Position above the military, politically similar in nature to a modern-day Sheriff or Police Commissioner. This is completely different from a modern day Commissioned Military General who never stands for election at any point in their careers. Historically it is unclear whether there was any badge of office granted to a Strategos though given current customs one should suspect that there was such a badge of office. 

The confusion regarding the "Ranking" of Strategos surely stems from the modern custom of granting Police Commissioners and Sheriffs, both Political Ranks, a badge-of-office that happens to be in the shape of what is commonly understood to be a very high rank within the traditional military hierarchy. This "rank-shaped" badge-of-office a formal representation of Public Civilian (political) authority over military matters.  

The ten generals were equal to one another;  there was no hierarchy among them.  However, a basic form of democracy was in effect: for example, at the [[Battle of Marathon]] in 490 BC, the generals determined the battle plan by majority vote. Particular assignments might have been given to individual generals; inevitably there was a regular division of responsibilities.

The rank that was subordinate to a top general was a ''taxiarchos'' or ''[[taxiarhos]]'', something akin to the modern [[brigadier]]. In [[Sparta]], however, the title was "''polemarchos''". Below this was the ''[[syntagmatarchis]]'', which can be translated as "leader of a [[regiment]]" (''syntagma'') and was therefore like a modern [[colonel]]. Below him was the ''[[tagmatarches]]'', a commanding officer of a ''tagma'' (near to the modern [[battalion]]). The rank was roughly equivalent to the ''[[legatus]]'' of a [[Roman legion]]. Next was the ''[[lokhagos]]'', an officer who led an infantry unit called a ''lokhos'' that consisted of roughly a hundred men, much the same as in a modern [[company (military unit)|company]] led by a [[Captain (OF-2)|captain]].

A Greek cavalry (''hippikon'') regiment was called a ''hipparchia'' and was commanded by an ''[[epihipparch]]''. The unit was split into two and led by two ''hipparchos'' or [[Hipparchos (cavalry officer)|hipparch]], but Spartan cavalry was led by a ''hipparmostes''. A ''hippotoxotès'' was a mounted archer. A Greek cavalry company was led by a ''tetrarchès'' or ''tetrarch''.

The rank and file of the military in most of the Greek city states was composed of ordinary citizens. Heavily armed foot soldiers were called ''hoplitès'' or ''[[hoplite]]s'' and a ''hoplomachos'' was a drill or weapons instructor.

Once [[Athens]] became a [[Navy|naval]] power, the top generals of the land armies had authority over the naval fleets as well. Under them, each [[warship]] was commanded by a ''trièrarchos'' or ''[[trierarch]]'', a word which originally meant "[[trireme]] officer" but persisted when other types of vessels came into use. Moreover, as in modern navies, the different tasks associated with running a ship were delegated to different subordinates. Specifically, the ''kybernètès'' was the helmsman, the ''keleustēs'' managed the rowing speed, and the ''trièraulès'' was the flute player who maintained the strike rate for the oarsmen. Following further specialization, the naval ''strategos'' was replaced by a [[navarch|''nauarchos'']], a sea officer equating to an [[admiral]].

With the rise of [[Macedon]]ia under [[Philip II of Macedon]] and [[Alexander the Great]], the Greek military became professional, tactics became more sophisticated and additional levels of ranking developed. Foot soldiers were organized into heavy infantry [[phalanx formation|phalanxes]] called ''[[phalangites]]''. These were among the first troops ever to be drilled, and they fought packed in a close rectangular formation, typically eight men deep, with a leader at the head of each column (or file) and a secondary leader in the middle so that the back rows could move off to the sides if more frontage was needed.

A ''tetrarchia'' was a unit of four files and a ''tetrarchès'' or ''tetrarch'' was a commander of four files; a ''dilochia'' was a double file and a ''dilochitès'' was a double-file leader; a ''lochos'' was a single file and a ''lochagos'' was a file leader; a ''dimoiria'' was a half file and a ''dimoirites'' was a half-file leader. Another name for the half file was a ''hèmilochion'' with a ''hèmilochitès'' being a half-file leader.

Different types of units, however, were divided differently and therefore their leaders had different titles. For example, under a numbering system by tens, a ''dekas'' or ''dekania'' was a unit of ten led by a ''dekarchos'', a ''hekatontarchia'' was a unit of one hundred led by a ''hekatontarchos'' and a ''khiliostys'' or ''khiliarchia'' was a unit of a thousand led by a ''khiliarchos''.

The cavalry, for which Alexander became most famous (in a military sense), grew more varied. There were heavy cavalry and wing cavalry (''ilè'') units, the latter commanded by an ''ilarchos''.