An archiater (Ancient Greek: ἀρχίατρος) was a chief physician of a monarch, who typically retained several. At the Roman imperial court, their chief held the high rank and specific title of Comes archiatrorum. The term has also been used of chief physicians in communities. The word is formed of the Greek ἀρχή Archè, 'chief', and ἴατρος Iatros, a physician; the Latin equivalents are principium and medicus. In neighbouring Sweden, the title of archiater was bestowed on the great botanist Carl Linnaeus as an honour.