βασιλεύς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• βᾰσῐλῆος (băsĭlêos) — Homeric, genitive
• βᾰσῐλῆϝος (băsĭlêwos) — Arcadocypriot, genitive
• 𐠞𐠪𐠐𐠵𐠩 (pa-si-le-wo-se) — Cypriot, Cypriot syllabary
• βᾰσῐλῆϝς (băsĭlêws) — Arcadocypriot
• βαἱ̈λεύς (bahïleús) — Laconian

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *gʷatiléus, with σ (s) developing by assibilation. Cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀣𐀯𐀩𐀄 (qa-si-re-u), that is, *gʷasileus. Further etymology uncertain. Multiple Indo-European etymologies have been advanced, while Beekes considers it Pre-Greek in origin. Possibly from an Anatolian language (see Lydian 𐤡𐤠𐤯𐤯𐤬𐤳 (pattoš, “king”)), although the Mycenaean (Linear B) evidence points to an original form with initial gʷ.

Case-forms show Attic shortening of the original stem βασιληϝ- (basilēw-); see quantitative metathesis.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ba.si.lěu̯s/ → /βa.siˈleɸs/ → /va.siˈlefs/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ba.si.lěu̯s/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ba.siˈlews/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βa.siˈleɸs/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /va.siˈlefs/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /va.siˈlefs/

• Hyphenation: βα‧σι‧λεύς

Noun

βᾰσῐλεύς • (băsĭleús) m (genitive βᾰσῐλέως); third declension

1. chief, master
2. king, lord, patron

Usage notes

Greek leaders ruling in distant lands, such as those of Ptolemaic Egypt, often use the word βασιλεύς (basileús) to convey authority, an example of this is exemplified in the use of the phrase ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (PTOLEMAIOu BASILEŌS) on Ptolemaic coinage minted for use in Egypt.

During specific periods of Greek history, βασιλεύς (basileús) was used to describe certain foreign leaders of comparable authority, such as the Persian kings and Roman Caesars. In this usage, it often took on certain modifications, such as a lack of definite article or the use of the adjective μέγας (mégas).

Declension

Third declension of ὁ βᾰσῐλεύς; τοῦ βᾰσῐλέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βᾰσῐλεύς ho băsĭleús	τὼ βᾰσῐλῆ tṑ băsĭlê	οἱ βᾰσῐλῆς / βᾰσῐλεῖς hoi băsĭlês / băsĭleîs
Genitive	τοῦ βᾰσῐλέως toû băsĭléōs	τοῖν βᾰσῐλέοιν toîn băsĭléoin	τῶν βᾰσῐλέων tôn băsĭléōn
Dative	τῷ βᾰσῐλεῖ tôi băsĭleî	τοῖν βᾰσῐλέοιν toîn băsĭléoin	τοῖς βᾰσῐλεῦσῐ / βᾰσῐλεῦσῐν toîs băsĭleûsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν βᾰσῐλέᾱ tòn băsĭléā	τὼ βᾰσῐλῆ tṑ băsĭlê	τοὺς βᾰσῐλέᾱς toùs băsĭléās
Vocative	βᾰσῐλεῦ băsĭleû	βᾰσῐλῆ băsĭlê	βᾰσῐλῆς / βᾰσῐλεῖς băsĭlês / băsĭleîs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of βᾰσῐλεύς; βᾰσῐλῆος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	βᾰσῐλεύς băsĭleús	βᾰσῐλῆε băsĭlêe	βᾰσῐλῆες băsĭlêes
Genitive	βᾰσῐλῆος / βᾰσῐλέος băsĭlêos / băsĭléos	βᾰσῐλήοιῐν băsĭlḗoiĭn	βᾰσῐλήων băsĭlḗōn
Dative	βᾰσῐλῆῐ̈ / βᾰσῐλέῐ̈ băsĭlêĭ̈ / băsĭléĭ̈	βᾰσῐλήοιῐν băsĭlḗoiĭn	βᾰσῐλήεσσῐ / βᾰσῐλήεσσῐν / βᾰσῐλεῦσῐ / βᾰσῐλεῦσῐν băsĭlḗessĭ(n) / băsĭleûsĭ(n)
Accusative	βᾰσῐλῆᾰ / βᾰσῐλέᾰ băsĭlêă / băsĭléă	βᾰσῐλῆε băsĭlêe	βᾰσῐλῆᾰς băsĭlêăs
Vocative	βᾰσῐλεῦ băsĭleû	βᾰσῐλῆε băsĭlêe	βᾰσῐλῆες băsĭlêes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Synonyms

• ἄνᾰξ (ánăx), κοίρανος (koíranos)

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓ποβᾰσῐλεύς (ăpobăsĭleús)
• βᾰσῐ́λεια (băsĭ́leia)
• βᾰσῐλεία (băsĭleía)
• βᾰσῐλειάω (băsĭleiáō)
• βᾰσῐλείδης (băsĭleídēs)
• βᾰσῐλείδιον (băsĭleídion)
• βᾰσῐ́λειον (băsĭ́leion)
• βᾰσῐ́λειος (băsĭ́leios)
• βᾰσῐλευτός (băsĭleutós)
• βᾰσῐλεύτωρ (băsĭleútōr)
• βᾰσῐλεύω (băsĭleúō)
• βᾰσῐ́λη (băsĭ́lē)
• βᾰσῐληΐη (băsĭlēḯē)
• βᾰσῐλήιος (băsĭlḗios)
• βᾰσῐληίς (băsĭlēís)
• βᾰσῐληΐς (băsĭlēḯs)
• βᾰσῐλῐ́ζω (băsĭlĭ́zō)
• βᾰσῐλικός (băsĭlikós)
• βᾰσῐλιναῦ (băsĭlinaû)
• βᾰσῐλίνδα (băsĭlínda)
• βᾰσῐ́λιννα (băsĭ́linna)
• βᾰσῐλίς (băsĭlís)
• βᾰσῐλῐ́σκος (băsĭlĭ́skos)
• βᾰσῐ́λισσα (băsĭ́lissa)
• βᾰσῐλισταί (băsĭlistaí)
• πᾰμβᾰσῐλεύς (pămbăsĭleús)

Descendants

• → Arabic: باسل
• → Coptic: ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲉⲩⲥ (basileus)
• → English: basileus, basilean, basileolatry, basilolatry
• Greek: βασιλεύς (vasiléfs), βασιλέας (vasiléas), βασιλιάς (vasiliás)
• Mariupol Greek: васлэ́яс (vasléjas)
• → Medieval Latin: basileus

Further reading

• “βασιλεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βασιλεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “βασιλεύς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• βασιλεύς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• βασιλεύς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• βασιλεύς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• “βασιλεύς”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G935 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • king idem, page 469.
  • lord idem, page 500.
  • royalty idem, page 724.
  • ruler idem, page 726.
  • sovereign idem, page 797.
• Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, § 319-320

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βασιλεύς.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vasiˈlefs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: βα‧σι‧λεύς

Noun

βασιλεύς • (vasiléfs) m (plural βασιλείς)

1. Katharevousa form of βασιλιάς (vasiliás, “king”)