'over-general'; Latin: epistrategus) was a senior military and administrative office in Ptolemaic Egypt, which was retained during the subsequent Roman period as well.
Each epistrategos were responsible for an epistrategy (Ancient Greek: ἐπιστρατηγία, romanized: epistratēgia).
Under Ptolemaic rule, a Greek strategos was appointed to each of the Egyptian nomes, originally as garrison commander for the Greek troops, but soon eclipsing the nomarch and assuming administrative duties as well.
Gradually, a number of nomes began being placed under the authority of a single strategos, and under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (r. 283 – 246 BC), the office of epistrategos of the "Chora" (i.e. the interior country) was established, with authority over the other strategoi in the entirety of Egypt beyond the capital, Alexandria.
The office remained important, although it apparently lost any military responsibility; very soon, it came to be held by Roman citizens of equestrian status.