the meaning of basileus

[yiannis]

It's Greek alright Marcus, but I can understand you, I've always hated early morning wakes myself :-)Here're some good articles on Linear B script:http://www.omniglot.com/writing/linearb ... ear_b.html

[yiannis]

Oh, wait! This site on Linear B is excellent! http://www.ancientscripts.com/linearb.html

[davej]

G'day Marcus,Crickey mate! I think you are mistaken about the term Imperator. It could be applied to any leader as a honourific title for winning a victory but did not necessarily stick. I think from memory Pompey was hailed imperator once in his 20's and then another 6 or 7 times. I can't recall exactly. I think this argument aids my case, the fact that a word evolves into something else which is really what I am suggesting with Basileus. The proper word Wanax or anax was used as late as the 5th so contray to my first ascertion it could be used but perhaps like the Roman they wanted to avoid the implications of kingship. Yiannis may know, what did the Spartans call their kings?By the way I hate mornings too especially when I have been doing reports until 1am. I am so tired I dont think I am making sense. I love a stoush. Warm regards to you and Yiannis.

[marcus]

Dave,You're not wrong. I knew I wasn't making great sense: "Imperator" means "general" or "commander", and was indeed conferred on a victorious general - so Pompey could indeed have been called it a number of times. But the point is that it did not mean "emperor" as we think of it - during the Empire period it was conferred on the man who we think of as 'emperor' as an honorific, and the word comes to us as "Emperor". Such was the power of the "emperor" that no-one else could be called it once he was called it... if you see what I mean.All the bestMarcus