An epistates in ancient Greece was any sort of superintendent or overseer. In Hellenistic kingdoms generally, an epistates is always connected with a subject district (a regional assembly), where the epistates, a resident representative, exercised control and collected taxes on behalf of the king.

Military use

In military texts, an epistates (the one who stands behind) is the man behind a protostates

Protostates

A protostates , in Ancient Greece, was the man in front of an epistates . The Greek phalanx was made up of alternate ranks of protostates and epistates. Thus, in a file of 8 men, the protostates were the men in positions 1,3,5 and 7, while the epistates occupied positions 2,4,6 and 8 . The term...

 (the one who stands first/in front). The phalanx was made up of alternate ranks of protostates and epistates. Thus, in a file of 8 men, the protostates were the men in positions 1,3,5, and 7, while the epistates occupied positions 2,4,6, and 8.

New Testament usage

The word Epistates is also used in "common" Koine Greek and in the Greek New Testament to refer to Christ

Christ

Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

. This word is translated into English as 'master,' but that is a simplistic translation. The word might be better understood as belonging to the set of Greek words meaning visitor or divine visitation (episkope), letter of instruction (epistole), as well as guardian or caretaker (episkopos), which was a word later translated as bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

. See Luke 5:5 for an example of textural usage.