A military or civil governor in ancient Sparta or in territories controlled by Sparta.
From Greek harmostos, from harmozein 'to join, fit together.' The Spartans appointed harmosts to rule conquered territories, making them powerful figures in the Spartan empire. The word reflects the Greek concept of authority that 'fits together' or organizes a territory.
Harmosts were Sparta's way of controlling its empire—appointed governors who had absolute power in foreign cities. They were often oppressive, and many Greek uprisings were against harmosts, making the word synonymous with colonial overreach in ancient history.
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