Epistrategos

Epistrategos (Ancient Greek: ἐπιστράτηγος, lit. 'over-general'; Latin: epistrategus) was a senior military and administrative office in Ptolemaic Egypt, which was retained during the subsequent Roman period as well. Each epistrategos were responsible for an epistrategy (Ancient Greek: ἐπιστρατηγία, romanized: epistratēgia). Under Ptolemaic rule, a Greek strategos was appointed to each of the Egyptian nomes, originally as garrison commander for the Greek troops, but soon eclipsing the nomarch and assuming administrative duties as well. Gradually, a number of nomes began being placed under the authority of a single strategos, and under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (r. 283 – 246 BC), the office of epistrategos of the "Chora" (i.e. the interior country) was established, with authority over the othe...