Oikonomos (, from - 'house' and - 'rule, law'), latinized œconomus, oeconomus, or economos, was an Ancient Greek word meaning "household manager." In Byzantine times, the term was used as a title of a manager or treasurer of an organization. It is a title of honor awarded to priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is also a title in the Roman Catholic Church. In Canon 494 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, an œconomus is the diocesan finance officer. In Ancient Greece Role in the oikos The oikos (household) was the base unit for the organization of social, political, and economic life in the Ancient Greek world. The person in charge of all its affairs was the oikonomos. The oikos was composed of a nuclear family as well as extended family members such as grandparents or unmarried female relatives. The husband of the core nuclear family was generally the oikonomos. The ancient Greek world was a patrilocal society. A married woman would join her husband's oikos. However, the woman would still remain a member of the oikos she grew up in and would return to her original oikos upon the end of a marriage. The oikonomos of a household, in addition to making economic decisions for the oikos, acted as legal guardian, or kyrios (a word meaning 'lord' or 'controller'), for other members of the household. In this capacity, they were generally responsible for male members of the household under the age of 18, unmarried women, as well as their wife. Marriage in the Greek world was seen as the transfer of responsibility over a woman from one kyrios to another; in most cases, from her father to her husband. The kyrios was understood to make decisions in the best interest of his wards about education, finances, and marriage. Although it differed between different Greek cities, an oikonomos in Athens would have the authority to dispose of his wife's property owing to his role as her kyrios. In other cities, such as Gortyn and Sparta, it appears that married women had the right to use their property as they wished. The power of the oikonomos to act as kyrios was not unlimited. In Athens, an individual who had been under the care of a kyrios would be able to seek legal recourse for damages caused by their former kyrios. The oikonomos in his role as kyrios also had