what is an autarch?

António Pedro Marques · 27 Sep 2010, 11:30 · from 2010-September.txt.gz

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From: entonio at gmail.com (=?UTF-8?B?QW50w7NuaW8gUGVkcm8gTWFycXVlcw==?=)
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:30:29 +0100
Subject: (urth) what is an autarch?
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Jane Delawney wrote (27-09-2010 02:56):
> On 26/09/10 22:36, Jeff Wilson wrote:
>> In that case, what distinguishes autarchs from those rulers who are
>> not?
>
> I submit that save in the case of Ymar, who was the first, the
> distinction is precisely in the ingestion of the memories of the
> predecessor.

I don't think one needs to go to that. A monarchy is characterised by
hereditary succession, divine right, exercise of power for its own sake. The
Autarchy is supposed to have been the opposite: non-hereditary, rulers from
lowly backgrounds, rule in the name of the community. In fact, quite like
*some* periods of the roman imperial system.

Of course, like has been said, someone not familiar with the term 'autarch', 
or only with a previous meaning of it, might just take it for an adequately 
high regal title.

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