1. one who stands before, a front-rank-man , (Xenophon Historicus) 2. a chief, leader of a party, (Herdotus Historicus); ὁ πρ. τοῦ δήμου (Thucydides) 3. generally, a president, ruler , (Aeschulus Tragicus), etc.; προστάται τῆς εἰρήνης its chief authors , (Xenophon Historicus) 4. one who stands before, a protector, guard, champion , πυλωμάτων (Aeschulus Tragicus), etc. 5. at Athens, of a citizen who took care of the μέτοικοι, as the Rom. patronus took care of his clientes; προστάτην γράφεσθαί τινα to choose as one's patron , (Aristophanes Comicus); but, γράφεσθαι προστάτου to enter oneself by one's patron's name , attach oneself to a patron , (Sophocles Tragicus) 6. προστάτης θεοῦ one who stands before a god to entreat him, a suppliant , (Sophocles Tragicus) (ML)