Editing Ephor (section)

== Eponymous ephor ==
One of the ephors was eponymous, i.e. he gave his name to the year, like the [[eponymous archon]] in Athens. He was probably designated during the elections as the candidate with the loudest shouts overall.<ref>Richer, ''Les éphores'', pp. 320–322.</ref> The eponymous ephor did not have any additional power compared to his colleagues; it was only a prestigious position.<ref>Richer, ''Les éphores'', pp. 313–320.</ref> In 413/2, the ordinary ephor Endios is thus described by Thucydides as wielding a lot of influence within the college, even though the eponymous was Onomantios.<ref>Richer, ''Les éphores'', p. 317.</ref>

As the eponymous ephors were used as dates, a list compiling their names existed in Sparta, and is mentioned by Polybius. This list was perhaps published by [[Apollodorus of Athens|Apollodoros]] and [[Sosicrates]], whose lost works were used by [[Diogenes Laertius]]. The list went at least as far as 556 (the year of Chilon's ephorate) and possibly up to 754 (during the reign of Theopompos as ancient authors believed). However, Diogenes lived in the 3rd century AD, and even his sources dated from the Hellenistic era, long after the events.<ref>Richer, ''Les éphores'', pp. 72, 73.</ref>