eklogê

Eklogê is the transliteration of the ancient Greek term ἐκλογή, which means election or selection. In scholarly usage, eklogê refers to the act or process of choosing someone for a public office, privilege, or role, as opposed to other methods of selection such as sortition (selection by lot). The word is used to discuss both historical practices and the broader concept of electing or appointing individuals.

Etymology and form: The term comes from the Greek vocabulary for choosing or calling forth, and in transliteration appears as eklogḗ or eklogê to reflect vowel length in different languages. In classical texts, the concept is closely tied to institutional procedures for filling offices and roles in city-states.

Historical usage: In ancient Greece, eklogê designated the act of electing certain officials, while other offices were filled by lot in many poleis. The balance between election and sortition varied by city-state and by period. Athenians, for example, employed both methods in different contexts, with some magistracies elected by the assembly and others assigned through lottery. Eklogê is frequently encountered in ancient political and legal literature as a key mechanism of governance and civic organization.

Modern usage: In contemporary scholarship, eklogê is used to analyze historical political systems, discuss the terminology of election in Greek sources, and compare ancient electoral practices with modern electoral systems. The term also appears in translations and discussions of classical philosophy and political theory that address how leaders were chosen in antiquity.

See also: Election, Sortition, Athenian democracy, Greek political terms.