ARCHON, in antiquity, a chief magistrate of Athens—After the Athenians had abolished monarchy, they created Archons, who were obliged to render an account of their administration.
Some of these were annual, and others perpetual; Medon, the son of Codrus, was the first of those; and Creon, of these.
The occasion of their institution was this: Codrus, king of Athens, having devoted himself for the good of his people, in the war with the Heraclidae; his sons, Medon and Nileus, disputed the crown between them: The Athenians took this occasion to dissolve their monarchy, and in lieu of kings, created perpetual governors, under the name of Archons—Medon, son of Codrus, was he who first had this charge, and his descendants enjoyed it for a long succession of years. But a perpetual magistracy, seemed to this free people, too lively an image of royalty, the very shadow whereof they were resolved to abolish— Accordingly, the administration of an Archon, which had before been perpetual, they now reduced to ten years; and some time after, to one; with a view of recovering, as often as possible, the authority into their own hands, which they never transferred to the magistrates, but with regret.
There were thirteen perpetual Archons, and seven decennial; the first whereof was established in the 24th Olympiad.
Under the Roman emperors, several Greek cities had two Archons, for chief magistrates, which were the same with the Duoviri in the colonies and Municipia. See DUOVIR.
The name Archon is also applied by some authors to various officers both civil and religious, under the Eastern or Greek Empire—Thus bishops are sometimes called Archons, and the same may be said of the lords of the emperor's court.
We also read of the Archon of the Antimensis, Archon of Archons, Grand Archon, Archon of Churches, Archon of the Gospel, Archon of the Walls, etc.
The word comes from the Greek ἄρχων, which signifies a commander, or one that governs.
