Military rank is a system of hierarchical A hierarchy (Greek: hierarchia , from hierarches, "leader of sacred rites") is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another and with only one "neighbor" above and below each of relationships in armed forces The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces. Armed or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms. Ranking systems have been known for most of military history to be advantageous for military operations, in particular with regards to logistics, command, and coordination; as time continued and military operations became larger and more complex, military ranks increased and ranking systems themselves became more complex.

Within modern armed forces, the use of ranks is almost universal. Communist Communism is a sociopolitical movement that aims for a classless and stateless society structured upon communal ownership of property states have sometimes abolished rank (e.g., the Soviet Russian Red Army The Red Army (Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия, Raboche-Krest'yanskaya Krasnaya Armiya; RKKA started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary militia during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history 1918–1935^[1], the Chinese b. ^ Simple characterizations of the political structure since the 1980s are no longer possible People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (simplified Chinese: 人民解放军; traditional Chinese: 人民解放軍; pinyin: Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn) is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" � 1965–1988^[2], and the Albanian Army The Albanian Armed Forces Albanian: Forcat e Armatosura të Shqipërisë (FASH) is the armed forces of Albania, first formed after independence in 1912. Today it is made up of the General Staff Headquarters, the Albanian Joint Forces Command, the Albanian Support Command and the Albanian Training and Doctrine Command 1966–1991^[3]), only to re-establish them after encountering operational difficulties of command and control Command and control, or C2, in a military organization can be defined as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. Alternate terms which are considered synonymous with C2 include C2I, C2ISR, and C4ISR , to indicate or highlight the.

Ancient and medieval ranks

Persian ranks

The army of ancient Persia Iran (Persian: ایران [ʔiˈɾɒn] ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Central Eurasia and Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was also known to the western world as Persia. Both Persia and Iran are used consisted of manageable military groupings under the individual commands. Starting at the bottom, a unit of 10 was called a dathabam and was led by a dathapatish. A unit of 1,000 was a hazarabam and was commanded by a hazarapatish. A unit of 10,000 was a baivarabam and was commanded by a baivarapatish. The Greeks called such masses of troops a myrias or myriad. Among mounted troops, an asabam was a cavalry Cavalry , were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest (after infantry and chariotry) and the most mobile of the combat arms. A soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations such as cavalryman or trooper unit led by an asapatish.

Historians have discovered the existence of the following ranks in Parthian Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire and Sassanian The birth of the Sassanid army dates back to the rise of Ardashir I (r. 226–241), the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, to the throne. Ardashir aimed at the revival of the Persian Empire, and to further this aim, he reformed the military by forming a standing army which was under his personal command and whose officers were separate from satraps, armies:

• Commander in Chief: Eran Spahbod Spahbod or Spahbed , is derived from the words Spah (سپه army) and bod (بد master); or "Aspah'Paeity" (in new Persian "Asb" and "Payeh"), and means commander of cavaliers/ knights; alternatively Spah Salar (سپهسالار) was a rank used in the Parthian empire and more widely in the Sassanid Empire of Persia ( (to be replaced with four Spahbods Spahbod or Spahbed , is derived from the words Spah (سپه army) and bod (بد master); or "Aspah'Paeity" (in new Persian "Asb" and "Payeh"), and means commander of cavaliers/ knights; alternatively Spah Salar (سپهسالار) was a rank used in the Parthian empire and more widely in the Sassanid Empire of Persia (, one for each frontier of the Empire during the reign of Khosrau I Khosrau I , also known as Anushiravan the Just (انوشیروان عادل , Anushiravān-e-ādel or انوشيروان دادگر, Anushiravān-e-dādgar) (Born c. 501, ruled 531–579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488–531), twentieth Sassanid Emperor (Great King) of Persia, and the most famous and celebrated of the).
• Commander of the Cavalry Cavalry , were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest (after infantry and chariotry) and the most mobile of the combat arms. A soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations such as cavalryman or trooper: Aspwargan Salar (Parthian) or Aswaran Salar (Sassanian).
• Commander of the Archers: Tirbodh
• Commander of the infantry Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies,: Paygan Salarapoo
• Castellan A castellan was the governor or caretaker of a castle or keep. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle": Argbadh Argbadh were a class of military commanders in charge of castles and fortresses of the Sassanid Empire of Persia (Iran) between 3rd and 7th centuries CE or Argbod Argbadh were a class of military commanders in charge of castles and fortresses of the Sassanid Empire of Persia (Iran) between 3rd and 7th centuries CE
• Commander of a frontier March: Marzpawn (Parthian) or Marzban Marzban were a class of margraves or military commanders in charge of border provinces of the Sassanid Empire of Persia (Iran) between 3rd and 7th centuries CE (Sassanian)
• Marzban Marzban were a class of margraves or military commanders in charge of border provinces of the Sassanid Empire of Persia (Iran) between 3rd and 7th centuries CE of Central Asian Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent Marches was called Kenarang.

Greek ranks

From 501 BC the Athenians The Greek capital has a population of 745,514 within its administrative limits and a land area of 39 km2 (15 sq mi). The urban area of Athens extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3,130,841 (in 2001) and a land area of 412 km2 (159 sq mi). According to Eurostat, the Athens Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) is the 8th most annually elected ten individuals to the rank of strategos Strategos, plural strategoi Attic-Ionic is used in Greek to mean "general". In the Hellenistic and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor. In the modern Hellenic Army, it is the highest officer rank, one for each of the ten "tribes" that had been created with the founding of the democracy Democracy is a political form of government where governing power is derived from the people, either by direct referendum or by means of elected representatives of the people (representative democracy). The term comes from the Greek: δημοκρατία – (dēmokratía) "rule of the people", which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) &. Strategos literally means "army leader" and so it is usually translated as "general A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given." Originally these generals worked together with the old polemarchos A polemarch was a senior military title in various ancient Greek city states (poleis). The title is composed out of the polemos (war) and archon (ruler/leader) and translates as "warleader" or "warlord" ("war lord") but over time the latter figure lost all military function.

The ten generals were equals to one another; there was no hierarchy amongst them, however a basic form of democracy was in effect: For example, at the Battle of Marathon The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. It was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The first Persian invasion was a response in 490 BC, the generals determined the battle plan by majority vote. Particular assignments, however, might have been given to individual generals; inevitably there was a regular division of responsibilities.

The rank that was subordinate to a top general was a taxiarchos or taxiarhos Taxiarch, the anglicized 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 usage, the term is also applied, something akin to the modern brigadier Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general. A Brigadier typically commands a Brigade consisting of three battalions (approximately 3,000 troops). It is a flag rank in most military. In Sparta Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c. 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military land-, however, the title was polemarchos. Below this was the syntagmatarkhis, which can be translated as "leader of a regiment A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel or, as in the case of the modern British Army where colonels more often serve as staff officers rather than field commanders, a Lieutenant Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is" (syntagma) and was therefore like a modern colonel Today, a colonel is usually a military title rated as the highest, or the second-highest, field rank below the general, or "flag", grades. In some small military forces, it can be the highest rank held. Below him was the tagmatarkhis, a commanding officer of a tagma (near to the modern battalion A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,300 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel. Several battalions are grouped to form a regiment or a brigade). The rank was roughly equivalent to the legatus A legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes. In order to command an army independently of the dux or provincial governor, legates were required to be of praetorian rank or higher; a legate could be invested of a Roman legion The Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio ("conscription" or "army") to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly (and more commonly), to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. In this latter. Next was the lokhagos Lochagos is used in the Greek language to mean "Captain". More precisely, it means "leader of a lochos", an officer who led an infantry unit called a lokhos that consisted of roughly a hundred men, much the same as in a modern company A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain or a Major. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure. Several companies are grouped to form a battalion or regiment, the latter of which is sometimes formed by led by a captain.

A Greek cavalry (hippiko) regiment was called a hipparchia and was commanded by a hyparchos or hipparch A Hipparchus or Hipparch was an ancient Greek cavalry officer, commanding a hipparchia ; two such units can be commanded by an Epihipparchos, but Spartan cavalry was led by a hipparmostes. A hippotoxotès was a horse archer. A Greek cavalry company was led by a tetrarchès or tetrarch Tetrarch can refer to:.

The rank and file of the military in most of the Greek city states was composed of ordinary citizens. Heavily armed foot soldiers were called hoplitès or hoplites A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek City-states. Hoplites were primarily armed as spear-men and fought in a phalanx formation. The word hoplite derives from hoplon (ὅπλον, plural hopla ὅπλα), the type of the shield used by the troopers, although, as a word, "hopla" could also denote weapons held or even full and a hoplomachos was a drill or weapons instructor.

Once Athens The Greek capital has a population of 745,514 within its administrative limits and a land area of 39 km2 (15 sq mi). The urban area of Athens extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3,130,841 (in 2001) and a land area of 412 km2 (159 sq mi). According to Eurostat, the Athens Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) is the 8th most became a naval power, the top generals of the land armies had authority over the naval fleets as well. Under them, each warship A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way than merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, a warship typically only carries weapons, was commanded by a trièrarchos or trierarch Trierarch was the title of officers who commanded a trireme (triēres) in the classical Greek world. In Athens and a few other states this officer was also required to pay for the outfitting and maintenance of the ship. Trierarchs thus had to be men of considerable means, since the expenses incurred could run as high as a talent in the course of a, a word which originally meant "trireme A trireme was a type of galley, a Hellenistic-era warship that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans officer" but persisted when other types of vessels came into use. Moreover, as in modern navies, the different tasks associated with running a ship were delegated to different subordinates. Specifically, the kybernètès was the helmsman, the keleusthès managed the rowing speed, and the trièraulès was the flute player who maintained the strike rate for the oarsmen. Following further specialization, the naval strategos was replaced by a nauarchos Navarch is a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modern admiral, a sea officer equating to an admiral Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM". Where relevant, Admiral has a NATO code of OF-9, and is a 4 star rank.

With the rise of Macedonia Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south. The rise of Macedon, from a small kingdom at the periphery of Classical Greek affairs, to one which came to dominate the entire under Philip II of Macedon Philip II of Macedon, (Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών — φίλος = friend + ίππος = horse — transliterated Philippos 382 – 336 BC, was a Greek king (basileus) of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III and Alexander the Great, the Greek military became professional, tactics became more sophisticated and additional levels of ranking developed. Foot soldiers were organized into heavy infantry phalanxes called phalangites. These were among the first troops ever to be drilled, and they fought packed in a close rectangular formation, typically eight men deep, with a leader at the head of each column (or file) and a secondary leader in the middle so that the back rows could move off to the sides if more frontage was needed.

A tetrarchia was a unit of four files and a tetrarchès or tetrarch was a commander of four files; a dilochia was a double file and a dilochitès was a double-file leader; a lochos was a single file and a lochagos was a file leader; a dimoiria was a half file and a dimoirites was a half-file leader. Another name for the half file was a hèmilochion with a hèmilochitès being a half-file leader.

Different types of units, however, were divided differently and therefore their leaders had different titles. For example, under a numbering system by tens, a dekas or dekania was a unit of ten led by a dekarchos, a hekatontarchia was a unit of hundred led by a hekatontarchès and a chiliostys or chiliarchia was a unit of a thousand led by a chiliarchès.

The cavalry, for which Alexander became most famous (in a military sense), grew more varied. There were heavy cavalry and wing cavalry (ilè) units, the latter commanded by an ilarchès.

Roman ranks

The use of formalized ranks came into widespread use with the Roman legions after the reforms by Marius. Under the new system, a legion would be commanded by a legate (legatus), typically a senator, for a three-year term. Immediately beneath the legate were six military tribunes (tribuni militum), five of whom were young men of Equestrian rank and one of whom was a nobleman who was headed for the Senate.

The tribuni militari were the Roman army's senior officers who commanded the rough equivalents to the US and British armies battalions and brigades (the relevant modern ranks being major, lieutenant colonel, colonel and brigadier general). Note that these comparisons are only loose because the Roman army's command structure was much different from the organizational structure of its modern counterparts, which arose from the medieval mercenary companies, rather than from the writings of Fourth Century Roman writer Vegetius and Caesar's commentaries on his conquest of Gaul and the civil war.

The term military tribune is sometimes translated into English as "colonel" — most notably by the late classicist Robert Graves in his "Claudius" novels and his translation of Suetonius' Twelve Caesars — to avoid confusion with the political "tribunes of the people."

The fighting men in the legion were formed into ranks, rows of men who fought as a unit. Under Marius's new system, legions were divided into ten cohorts (cohortes), each consisting of six centuries, each of between 60 and 160 men. Each century was led by a centurion (centurio) who was assisted by a number of junior officers, such as an Optio. Centuries were further broken into ten contubernia of eight soldiers each. Individual soldiers were referred to as soldiers (milites) or legionaries (legionarii).

Roman discipline was severe, with all ranks subject to corporal and capital punishment at the commander's discretion. For example, if a cohort broke in battle, the typical punishment was decimation, in which every tenth soldier, selected by lot, was killed. However, the Romans were sensible and would not sacrifice too many men in this way.

Mongol ranks

There were no ranks in the Mongol Empire in the modern sense of a hierarchy of titles, although the army was organized into a hierarchical command (see "Mongol military tactics and organization"). The organization of the Mongol army was based on the decimal system, much like that of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. The army was built upon a squad of ten (aravt) led by an appointed chief. Ten of these would then compose a company of a hundred (zuut), also led by an appointed chief. The next unit was a regiment of a thousand (myangat) led by an appointed noyon. The largest organic unit was a ten thousand man unit (tumen) also led by an appointed noyan.^[4] The Mongalisen is what we would call General of the Army.

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