ASIARCH, ( Asiarches, from 'Asia, Asia ± arehein, to govern).
The title of an officer of high rank in the Roman Province of Asia, similar to officers in other provinces called after their respective provincial names. Galatareh, Lykiar•h, Pamphyliarch. The appointment. functions, and tenure of office be longing to this position cannot be accurately as certained. It is clear, however, that his duties were provincial and not municipal; that the proconsul of the province took some part in his appointment: that the title was retained after the term of service was ended; that he presided over the assembly (('ommune Asia') which con vened annually for the worship of Rome and the Emperor and the celebration of festivals in honor of the imperial reign: and that, in so far as this worship involved the service of the tem ples dedicated to the Imperial house, the presi dency over the assembly most probably merged into itself the high-priesthood over these temples, making the Asiarch thus a politico-religious offi cer. and confining the office itself necessarily to
the wealthy and highly influential among the citi zens. As these high priests were, in all likelihood, presided over by a chief priest, it is quite possi ble that the Asiarchate became a multiple office presided over by a chief Asiarch, forming thus an executive •ouncil eonnected with the annual assembly. From all this we may assume that it was on the occasion of one of these annual gath erings, held at Ephesus, that the uproar oc curred in the theatre which impelled Paul's friends among these influential officers to tion him for his safety. (Acts xix. 31: "Cer tain of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.") Consult: sem Prorinees of the Roman Empire (Eng lish translation, London, 1895) : Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, 2 vols. (London, 1895-97).