Ephor
/ˈɛfɔːr/noun
One of the five annually elected magistrates in ancient Sparta.
Did you know?The Ephors were so powerful in Spartan government that they could even put kings on trial, making them one of antiquity’s most famous examples of institutionalized oversight.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐφόρος (ephoros)
“an overseer, supervisor, or magistrate”
Classical Greek
Greek
ἐπί (epi) + ὁράω (horaō)
“'over' + 'to see' — literally, one who looks over”
Latin
Latin
ep(h)orus
“a borrowed form used in scholarly and historical contexts”
16th Century
English
ephor
“a title for a Spartan magistrate in historical writing”
Modern English
English
ephor
“one of the five chief magistrates of ancient Sparta”