{{Infobox military unit | unit_name = | native_name = πρόμαχος | country = Ancient Greece | type = Front-rank soldier in a phalanx | image = 300px | caption = Promachos in a Greek phalanx | dates = }}

In ancient Greece and during the Byzantine era, the '''Promachoi''' (singular: '''Promachos'''; Greek: πρόμαχος) were the men fighting in the first rank of the phalanx.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=pro%2Fmaxos&la=greek#Perseus:text:1999.04.0058:entry=pro/maxos-contents Perseus Project - Greek Word Study Tool (πρόμαχος)].</ref><ref>Sylloge Tacticorum, 45.15</ref> The word can also be used as an adjective as in "promachos line"<ref>Leo VI. ''Tactica'', 12.43</ref> referring to the first line of battle.

The first use of the word is recorded in Homer's ''Iliad''.<ref>Homer ''Iliad'', 14.476</ref><ref>Homer ''Iliad'', 14.482</ref> An obsolete English literal translation of ''promachos'' is ''forefighter'', in Dutch ''voorvechter''.

== Name == * Promachos (Πρόμαχος), a young man from Knossos.<ref>[http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/erudits/photius/conon.htm Conon, Narrations (Photius), 16]</ref>

== Sanctuaries - Statues == * Athena Promachos, the famous bronze statue by Phidias that towered over the Parthenon. * Hermes Promachos, a sanctuary at Tanagra was dedicated to him.<ref>[https://topostext.org/work/213#9.22.1 Pausanias, Description of Greece, 9.22.1]</ref><ref>[https://topostext.org/work/213#9.22.2 Pausanias, Description of Greece, 9.22.2]</ref> * Heracles Promachos, a white marble statue of Heracles in the Heracles Sanctuary at Thebes. The Thebans Xenocrites (Ξενοκρίτης) and Eubius (Εὔβιος) created the statue.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-grc1:9.11.4 Pausanias, Description of Greece, 9.11.4]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Ancient Greek military terminology Category:Byzantine titles and offices Category:Greek words and phrases Category:Greek masculine given names Category:Masculine given names Category:Phalanx Category:Ancient Greek infantry types

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