Ἀσιάρχης, Ἀσιαρχου, ὁ, an Asiarch, President of Asia: Act_19:31. Each of the cities of proconsular Asia, at the autumnal equinox, assembled its most honorable and opulent citizens, in order to select one to preside over the games to be exhibited that year, at his expense, in honor of the gods and the Roman emperor. Thereupon each city reported the name of the person selected to a general assembly held in some leading city, as Ephesus, Smyrna, Sardis. This general council, called τό κοινόν, selected ten out of the number of candidates, and sent them to the proconsul; and the proconsul, apparently, chose one of these ten to preside over the rest. This explains how it is that in Acts, the passage cited several Asiarchs are spoken of, while Eusebius, h. e. 4, 15, 27 mentions only one; (perhaps also the title outlasted the service). Cf. Meyer on Acts, the passage cited; Winers RWB under the word Asiarchen; (BB. DD. under the word; but especially Le Bas et Waddington, Voyage Archeol. Inscriptions part. v., p. 244f; Kuhn, Die städtische u. bürgerl. Verf. des röm. Reichs, i. 106ff; Marquardt, Röm. Staatsverwalt. i. 374ff; Stark in Schenkel i., 263; especially Lightfoot Polycarp, p. 987ff).

Ἀσιάρχης Asiarchēs 1x an Asiarch, an officer in the province of Asia, as in other eastern provinces of the Roman empire, selected, with others, from the more opulent citizens, to preside over the things pertaining to religious worship, and to exhibit annual public games at their own expense in honor of the gods, in the manner of the aediles at Rome, Act_19:31

*† Ἀσιάρχης , -ου , ὁ , an Asiarch , one of ten officers elected by the various cities in the province of Asia whose duty it was to celebrate at their own charges the public games and festivals: Act_19:31 ( Strab ., Inscr .; DB , s.v. ).†

Ασιάρχης [page 85] For inscriptional light on the meaning of this term it will be enough to refer to the archζologists : see esp. Ramsay s bibliography in his art. sub voce in Hastings DB.

Ἀσιάρχης [Etym: ἄρχω] "an Asiarch", the highest religious official under the Romans in the province of Asia, NTest.

Ἀσιάρχης, -ου, ὁ an Asiarch, one of ten officers elected by the various cities in the province of Asia whose duty it was to celebrate at their own charges the public games and festivals: Act.19:31 (Strab., Inscr.; DB, see word).† (AS)