The word taxiarch (Greek: ταξίαρχος, romanized: taxiarchos (masculine); ταξιάρχη,
taxiarchē (feminine)) is used in the Greek language to mean "brigadier". The term
derives from táxis 'order', in military context meaning 'an ordered formation'. It
is cognate with the scientific term taxonomy. In turn, the rank has given rise to
the Greek term for brigade, taxiarchia. In Greek Orthodox Church usage, the term is
also applied to the archangels Michael and Gabriel, as leaders of the heavenly
host, and several locations in Greece are named after them.
Contents
Ancient use
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In ancient Greece, the title or rank was held by a number of officers in the armies
of several but not all city-states, with Sparta being a notable exception. In
Classical Athens, there were ten taxiarchs, one for each of the city's tribes
(phylai), a subordinate to the respective strategos.
Byzantine use
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The term first appears in use in the Byzantine army in the late 6th-century
Strategikon of emperor Maurice, where it is reserved for the commander of the elite
Optimatoi mercenary corps.[1] In the 10th-century, the term was revived and refers
to the commander of one of the new type of infantry brigade (taxiarchia), composed
of 500 heavy infantry, 300 archers and 200 light infantry. On account of their
numerical size, these units were also known as chiliarchia, and their commander
correspondingly as chiliarchos, and are also equated to the thematic droungos under
a droungarios.[1][2] During the 11th century, with the demise of the thematic
armies, the rank rose in importance, and eventually surpassed and replaced that of
tourmarches, so that in the Komnenian-era army, the taxiarchia was the largest-
scale permanent infantry formation.
Modern use
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In the modern Hellenic Army the rank of Taxiarchos (abbreviated Ταξχος) is
equivalent to Brigadier General with a NATO Code OF-6.[3] The rank was introduced
in the Greek military by royal decree on 5 June 1946,[4] and the insignia
instituted later in the same year.[5] It is superior to a Syntagmatarchis (Colonel)
and inferior to an Ypostratigos (Major General). The rank's insignia consists of a
flaming grenade (replacing the crown borne under the Greek monarchy), a crossed
sword and baton device and a six-pointed star. A Taxiarchos typically serves as the
commanding officer of a brigade or as the executive officer of a division.
In the Hellenic Air Force, which otherwise uses Royal Air Force-style ranks
different from those of the Army, the equivalent rank (Air Commodore) is denoted as
Taxiarchos tis Aeroporias ("Air Force Brigadier") or simply Taxiarchos.[6] The rank
is also used by the Hellenic Police (and the Greek Gendarmerie before) and the
Cypriot National Guard.
Gallery
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Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1946–1959
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1946–1959
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1959–1970
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1959–1970
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1970–1973
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1970–1973
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1975–today
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos, 1975–today
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos tis Aeroporias, 1946–today
Rank insignia of a Taxiarchos tis Aeroporias, 1946–today
Rank insignia of a Police Taxiarchos, 1986–today
Rank insignia of a Police Taxiarchos, 1986–today
References
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flag Byzantine Empire portal
flag Greece portal
Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford University
Press. p. 2018. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
Haldon, John F. (1999). Warfare, state and society in the Byzantine world, 565–
1204. Routledge. p. 115. ISBN 1-85728-494-1.
STANAG 2116: "NATO codes for grades of military personnel", 6th edition, 2010,
page A-2
"Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατου (1821-1954)", Hellenic Army General
Staff, Athens, 2005, p. 410
"Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατου (1821-1954)", Hellenic Army General
Staff, Athens, 2005, p. 427
STANAG 2116: "NATO codes for grades of military personnel", 6th edition, 2010,
page C-2
