Other notable Archons throughout the ages include the diplomat and historian of the late period of the Empire in Constantinople, Georgios Sphrantzes. So, too, was the great statesman and last Grand Duke of the Empire, Loukas Notaras. In the twentieth century, the celebrated Greek film pioneer Spyros Skouras was an Archon. The beloved Greek tenor Nikos Gounaris was honored with the title of Archon. In a similar way, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev were conferred with the title of Archon when they were awarded the Athenagoras Human Rights Award in 1987 and 2005, respectively. In our own day, the billionaire philanthropist and sports team owner Alex Spanos was also an Archon.

In ancient Athens, beginning in the eleventh century BC, the city was ruled by a council of nine Archons, three of whom oversaw political, military, and religious affairs, while the other six comprised the judiciary.

Over time, civil magistrates in ancient Greece were generally known as άρχοντες, and this title continued to be used after the Roman Empire conquered Greece and Anatolia in the third and second centuries BC.

When the Empire became Christian, the title continued to be used. In the Christian empire, the word was often used as a synonym for dynatoi (δυνατοί), a word used for high military and government officials, as well as metropolitans, bishops, and hegoumenoi. Office holders were not just secular officials, but important leaders of the Christian community. As Archons, they took on specific religious responsibilities for the service and promotion of the Holy Orthodox Faith in the Roman Empire.