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Bible Encyclopedias
Asiarchae
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Asiar′chae (Acts 19:31; Authorized Version 'certain of the chief of Asia'). These asiarchae, who derived their appellation from the name of the province over which they presided (as Syriarchae, 2 Maccabees 12:2. Lyciarch, Cariarch, etc.), were in Proconsular Asia the chief presidents of the religious rites, whose office it was to exhibit every year, in honor of the gods and of the Roman emperor, solemn games in the theater. This they did at their own expense, whence none but the most opulent persons could bear the office, although only of one year's continuance. The appointment was much as follows: at the beginning of every year (i.e. about the autumnal equinox) each of the cities of Asia held a public assembly, in order to nominate one of their citizens as asiarch. A person was then sent to the general council of the province, at some one of the principal cities, as Ephesus, Smyrna, Sardis, etc. to announce the name of the individual who had been selected. Of the persons thus nominated by the cities the council designated ten, and it is probable that one chosen by the proconsul was pre-eminently the asiarch, but that the other nine acted as his assessors and also bore that title.
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Asiarchae'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/a/asiarchae.html.
