Despot (title)
The title despotes or despot ( ancient Greek δεσπότης despótēs ruler, ruler) was introduced in 1163 by the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos (ruled 1143–1180) as the highest title after that of the basileus (emperor).
The title of despot was reserved for the highest aristocracy. A despot could proprietor of a despotism or Despotate be, but was also from 1261 the title of the heir apparent, the same time the ruler of the Despotate of the Morea was. The feminine form Despoina (ancient Greek δέσποινα) denotes a female despot or the wife of a despot.
Outside of Byzantium, especially in Southeastern Europe , the title as the highest ruler title spread. So Béla III. of Hungary (ruled 1172–1196) the first non-Byzantine despot . As a rule, their territory was then referred to as a despotate, like the despotate Epirus or the despotate Dobrudscha . In the Despotate of Epirus, Despot was the title of ruler over the Byzantine successor state . In medieval Serbia the despot (see Serbian despots ) was introduced under the emperor Stefan Dušan , who took over the Byzantine offices and titles . The Serbian despots of the 15th century always received their titles from the Byzantine emperor between 1402 and 1453, then from the Hungarian king.
After the Byzantine court ceremony finally prevailed, the title remained the highest ruler title after that of the basileus , and its award was reserved only for the Byzantine basileus with the dissolution of the Serbian Empire . This also included the recognition of the Byzantine emperor as a kind of primus inter pares .
In the Byzantine liturgy the priest is addressed by the deacon as a despot to this day. This title is to be understood neutrally in the sense of "ruler", without the negative meaning "tyrant" that is common today.
See also
literature
- B. Ferjancic: Despot . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages . Vol. 3, Col. 733f.
- Lexicon for the History of Southeast Europe , 2004 pp. 183-184 ( ISBN 3-205-77193-1 , ISBN 3-8252-8270-8 )