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.

Air Force

The Hellenic Air Force, is the youngest of the three services (founded in 1930). Its rank structure and insignia are based on the British Royal Air Force.

Officer ranks

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 v t e	No equivalent																								No equivalent
			General		Lieutenant General		Major General		Brigadier General		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd Lieutenant
					?								?
Transliteration			Pterarchos		Antipterarchos		Ypopterarchos		Taxiarchos		Sminarchos		Antisminarchos		Episminagos		Sminagos		Yposminagos			Anthyposminagos

NCO and other ranks

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Hellenic Air Force v t e																	No equivalent										No equivalent
							() (SMY)	(-?-) (MEE-EPOP-EMTh)	() (SMY)	(?-) (EPOP-EMTh)	() (SMY)			(?-) (EPOP-EMTh)									(?) (EPOP)												(?) (EPOP)
	Warrant Officer ?[note 1]						Chief Master Sergeant		Master Sergeant ?		Staff Sergeant ?												Corporal ?												Aircraftman
Transliteration	Anthypaspistis						Archisminias		Episminias		Sminias												Yposminias												Sminitis
Greece (Conscripts)	No equivalent																						No equivalent												No insignia
																	Conscript Sergeant ?																		Conscript Aircraftman
Transliteration																	Klirotos Sminias																		Sminitis

Army

Officer ranks

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 v t e	No equivalent																														No equivalent
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First Lieutenant			Second Lieutenant			Officer Designate
					?												?		?			?			? ?
Transliteration			Stratigos		Antistratigos		Ypostratigos		Taxiarchos		Syntagmatarchis		Antisyntagmatarchis		Tagmatarchis		Lochagos		Ypolochagos			Anthypolochagos			Dokimos efedros aksio­matikos

NCO and other ranks

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Hellenic Army v t e																	No equivalent												No equivalent						Arm/corps insignia only
	Warrant Officer						Master sergeant		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal								Private
	?[note 2]						?																												?
Transliteration	Anthypaspistis						Archilochias		Epilochias		Lochias												Dekaneas				Ypodekaneas								Stratiotis
Greece (Conscripts)							No equivalent										No equivalent												No equivalent							No insignia
	Officer Designate ? ?										Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal								Candidate Reservist Rank ? ?	Private ?
Transliteration	Dokimos Efedros Axiomatikos[note 2]										Lochias												Dekaneas				Ypodekaneas								Ypopsifios Efedros Bathmoforos	Stratiotis

Navy

Officer ranks

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 v t e	No equivalent																														No equivalent
			Admiral		Vice Admiral		Rear Admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant Commander		Lieutenant		Sub Lieutenant			Ensign			Officer Designate
									?				?
Transliteration			Navarchos		Antinavarchos		Yponavarchos		Archiploiarchos		Ploiarchos		Antiploiarchos		Plotarchis		Ypoploiarchos		Anthypoploiarchos			Simaioforos			Simaioforos Epikouros Axiomatikos

NCO and other ranks

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Hellenic Navy v t e																	No equivalent						male		female		No equivalent								male	female
	Warrant Officer						Master Chief Petty Officer		Senior Chief Petty Officer		Chief Petty Officer												Leading Seaman												Seaman
	?[note 3]						?
Transliteration	Anthypaspistis						Archikelefstis		Epikelefstis		Kelefstis												Diopos												Naftis
Greece (Conscripts)							No equivalent										No equivalent										No equivalent
	Officer Designate										Conscript Petty Officer												Conscript Leading Seaman												Conscript Seaman
Transliteration	Simaioforos Epikouros Axiomatikos										Kelefstis												Diopos												Naftis

See also

• Military of Greece
• Royal Hellenic Army Ranks
• Royal Hellenic Navy rank insignia
• Royal Hellenic Air Force ranks

Notes

External links

• Hellenic Airforce Ranks, Hellenic Air Force website
• ? ? (Hellenic Army Insignia), Hellenic Army website
• ? ? (Hellenic Navy Personnel Rank Insignia), Hellenic Navy website