βασιλεύς
Etym. deriv. uncertain
I. "a king, chief", Hom.: later it was "an hereditary king", opp. to τύραννος, Hdt., attic; ἄναξ β. lord "king", Aesch.: c. gen., β. νεῶν id=Aesch.; οἰωνῶν β., of the eagle, id=id=Aesch.:—Hom. has a comp. βασιλεύτερος "more of a king, more kingly", Sup. βασιλεύτατος "most kingly".
2. of "the king's son, prince", or any one sharing in the government, Od.
3. generally, "a lord, master, householder", Il., Pind.
II. at Athens, "the second of the nine Archons" was called βασιλεύς; he had charge of the public worship, and the conduct of criminal processes, Plat., etc.
III. after the Persian war, "the king of Persia" was called βασιλεύς (without the Art.), Hdt., attic; more rarely ὁ βασιλεύς, or ὁ μέγας βας. Hdt.