In ancient Greece, the chief magistrate or magistrates in a city-state, from the Archaic period onward.
In Athens , nine archons divided state duties: the archon eponymous headed the boule and Ecclesia , the polemarch commanded troops and presided over legal cases involving foreigners, the archon basileus headed state religion and the Areopagus , and the six remaining archons handled various judicial matters. At first only elected aristocrats could serve, and their term was for life; later, terms were limited to a year. Archons were chosen by a combination of election and lot. In the 5th century BC the authority of the archons declined as elected generals assumed most of their powers.