The navarch (Greek: ναύαρχος, romanized: nauarchos) was the magistrate who commanded the fleet in Ancient Sparta.
[1] The navarch commanded the fleet, but could also lead his embarked troops on land, performed the sacrifices, distributed wages and booty, negotiated with foreign states, and even administered the territories he captured.
[2][3] An ambitious man such as Lysander could therefore yield formidable influence in Sparta through his time as navarch at the end of the Peloponnesian War (431–404).
[9][10][11] In the beginning the office was probably irregular and no navarch was appointed for most of the Pentecontaetia (479–431), as the Spartans did not launch any navy during this period.
[13][14][15] In about 400 another law forbade iteration of the office, but repetition was apparently allowed, since Teleutias was probably navarch three times.