Modern Greek military ranks are based on Ancient Greek and Byzantine terminology.
In the army and air force, these names are often based on the unit or post that a holder of each rank usual commands. For example, a tagmatarchis is in charge of a tagma , which is derived from an Ancient Greek word translatable as "command", "order", or "class", and in modern Greek is a unit equivalent to a battalion in other armies; hence a modern tagmatarchis is a rank equivalent to major in other armies. Similarly, a lochagos normally commands a lochos (a word that originally meant "warband"), which in Ancient Greece was a 100-strong hoplite unit, but in modern Greek usage is equivalent to an infantry company. Hence a lochagos is the equivalent of a captain in other armies, and the modern Greek equivalent of an army first lieutenant is the modern neologism ypolochagos : literally, "sub-captain". Likewise, the modern Greek equivalent of a sergeant is a lochias .
The suffixes -agos and -archos (or -arches), which are often found in Greek rank names, are derived from the roots agein "to lead" and archein "to rule", respectively.
The Hellenic Air Force, is the youngest of the three services (founded in 1930). Its insignia are based on the British Royal Air Force, while it uses Army rank titles when translated to English. [1]
NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hellenic Air Force [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Πτέραρχος Pterarchos | Αντιπτέραρχος Antipterarchos | Υποπτέραρχος Ypopterarchos | Ταξίαρχος Taxiarchos | Σμήναρχος Sminarchos | Αντισμήναρχος Antisminarchos | Επισμηναγός Episminagos | Σμηναγός Sminagos | Υποσμηναγός Yposminagos | Ανθυποσμηναγός Anthyposminagos |
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hellenic Air Force [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ανθυπασπιστής [lower-alpha 1] Anthypaspistis | Αρχισμηνίας Archisminias | Επισμηνίας Episminias | Σμηνίας Sminias | Υποσμηνίας Yposminias | Σμηνίτης Sminitis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greece (Conscripts) | No equivalent | No insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Κληρωτός Σμηνίας Klirotos Sminias | Σμηνίτης Sminitis |
NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hellenic Army [3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Στρατηγός Stratigos | Αντιστράτηγος Antistratigos | Υποστράτηγος Ypostratigos | Ταξίαρχος Taxiarchos | Συνταγματάρχης Syntagmatarchis | Αντισυνταγματάρχης Antisyntagmatarchis | Ταγματάρχης Tagmatarchis | Λοχαγός Lochagos | Υπολοχαγός Ypolochagos | Ανθυπολοχαγός Anthypolochagos | Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός Dokimos efedros aksiomatikos |
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hellenic Army [4] | Arm/corps insignia only | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ανθυπασπιστής [lower-alpha 1] Anthypaspistis | Αρχιλοχίας Archilochias | Επιλοχίας Epilochias | Λοχίας Lochias | Δεκανέας Dekaneas | Υποδεκανέας Ypodekaneas | Στρατιώτης Stratiotis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greece (Conscripts) | No equivalent | No insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός Dokimos Efedros Axiomatikos [lower-alpha 1] | Λοχίας Lochias | Δεκανέας Dekaneas | Υποδεκανέας Ypodekaneas | Υποψήφιος Έφεδρος Βαθμοφόρος Ypopsifios Efedros Bathmoforos | Στρατιώτης Stratiotis |
NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hellenic Navy [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ναύαρχος Navarchos | Αντιναύαρχος Antinavarchos | Υποναύαρχος Yponavarchos | Αρχιπλοίαρχος Archiploiarchos | Πλοίαρχος Ploiarchos | Αντιπλοίαρχος Antiploiarchos | Πλωτάρχης Plotarchis | Υποπλοίαρχος Ypoploiarchos | Ανθυποπλοίαρχος Anthypoploiarchos | Σημαιοφόρος Simaioforos | Σημαιοφόρος Επίκουρος Αξιωματικός Simaioforos epikouros axiomatikos |
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hellenic Navy [5] | male | female | male | female | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ανθυπασπιστής [lower-alpha 1] Anthypaspistis | Αρχικελευστής Archikelefstis | Επικελευστής Epikelefstis | Κελευστής Kelefstis | Δίοπος Diopos | Ναύτης Naftis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greece (Conscripts) | No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Σημαιοφόρος Επίκουρος Αξιωματικός Simaioforos Epikouros Axiomatikos | Κελευστής Kelefstis | Δίοπος Diopos | Ναύτης Naftis |
The Hellenic Army, formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term Hellenic is the endogenous synonym for Greek. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces, also constituted by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and the Hellenic Navy (HN). The army is commanded by the chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff (HAGS), which in turn is under the command of Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS).
Commissioned officers' rank comparison chart of all land forces of NATO member states.
This page lists the enlisted ranks and insignia of NATO member armies. For the comparison chart of the commissioned officers, see Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers.
The following are the ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Enlisted personnel for each member nation.
Each officer rank in the navy of a NATO country may be compared with the ranks used by any military service in other NATO countries, under a standardized NATO rank scale. This is useful, for instance, in establishing seniority amongst officers serving alongside each other within multinational command structures.
This table shows the ranks and insignia of NCOs and Seaman in the navies of member countries of NATO. NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in an attempt to match every member country's military rank to corresponding ranks used by the other members. The rank categories were established in the document STANAG 2116, formally titled NATO Codes for Grades of Military Personnel.
Lochagos is used in the Greek language to mean "Captain". More precisely, it means "leader of a lochos". The equivalent term in the Hellenic Army Armour & Cavalry is Greek: ιλάρχος, romanized: ilarchos, "leader of an ilē.
Taxiarch, the anglicised form of taxiarchos or taxiarchēs is used in the Greek language to mean "brigadier". The term derives from táxis, "order", in military context "an ordered formation". 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.
Rank comparison chart of all armies and land forces of European states.
Rank comparison chart of all navies of European states.
Rank comparison chart of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and enlisted personnel for all armies and land forces of European states.
Rank comparison chart of air forces non-commissioned officers and other personnel of European states.
Rank comparison chart of all navies of European states. Some European countries do not have naval forces, either because they are landlocked Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Luxembourg, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Slovakia, San Marino and the Vatican, or naval duties provided by another state such as Monaco, .
Commissioned officers' and Enlisted rank comparison chart of all marine forces.
Rank comparison chart of all armies and land forces of the European Union member states.
Rank comparison chart of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and enlisted personnel for all armies and land forces of the European Union member states.
Rank comparison chart of all navies of the European Union member states.
Rank comparison chart of all navies of the European Union member states. Some EU member states do not have naval forces, either because they are landlocked Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg and Slovakia.
Rank comparison chart of air forces non-commissioned officers and other personnel of the European Union member states.