Protospatharios

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Prōtospatharios ( Greek πρωτοσπαθάριος ) was one of the highest courtly titles of honor of the Byzantine Empire from the 8th to the 12th century, which was bestowed on deserving generals and civil provincial officials, but also on foreign heads of state.

history

The meaning of the title ("first Spatharios ") indicates its original function, that of the leader of the rank group or unit ( taxis ) of the spatharioi . It is an imperial bodyguard that has been documented since the 6th century. Probably under the rule of Herakleios , the office became a title of honor (Greek δια βραβείου αξία dia brabeiou axia ) and has since been granted to important courtiers and allied rulers, later also to high-ranking commanders of the subjects . The first concrete mention of a prōtospatharios can be found in the Chronicle of Theophanes , who describes a " Sergios , prōtospatharios and stratēgos of Sicily " in 718. In the late 9th century there is an indication that the prōtospatharios stood under the patrikios and above the dishypatos . The award of the title was connected with the admission to the Senate . Therefore, the prestige of the title was very high, which is illustrated by a description of Emperor Constantine VII (ruled 913–959) in his work De Administrando Imperio : during the reign of his father, Emperor Leo VI. (r. 886–912), an elderly priest of the Nea Ekklesia by the name of Ktenas paid 60 liters of gold (about 19.4 kg), d. H. about sixty times the annual income of 72  nomismata a prōtospatharios were entitled to in order to receive the title. However, the priest died two years later. Like other dignitaries of the Middle Byzantine Empire, its importance declined sharply in the 11th century. The last time the title was recorded was 1115, although it was mentioned by pseudo-codinos in the middle of the 14th century.

According to the Klētorologion of Philotheos , a distinction was made within the title between the categories of eunuchs ( ektomiai ) and non-eunuchs ( barbatoi , "bearded"). In addition to the insignia of their office, a gold chain ( maniakion ) adorned with pearls, the eunuchs had a special piece of clothing, a tunic decorated with white and gold and doublets with golden facets. The non-eunuchs only wore a gold chain ( kloios ) that was decorated with precious stones.

Functions

In addition to the courtly title of honor, there were also some prōtospatharioi who had special tasks:

  • The prōtospatharios who presided over the Chrysotriklinos ( πρωτοσπαθάριος τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου ), the reception hall of the Great Palace of Constantinople .
  • The prōtospatharios , who presided over the Lausiakos ( πρωτοσπαθάριος τοῦ Λαυσιακοῦ ), a large hall that adjoined the Chrysotriklinos and served as a meeting hall. The staff ( oikeiakoi ) of Lausiakos had probably tasks associated with the preparation of the imperial banquets.
  • The prōtospatharios , or katepanō , the basilikoi anthrōpoi ( πρωτοσπαθάριος / κατεπάνω τῶν βασιλικῶν ), a group of lower imperial servants. He is listed as one of the stratarchai , so had an unknown military task. His retinue included men of lower rank (e.g. the spatharioi and kandidatoi ), his main assistant was a domestikos .
  • The prōtospatharios tēs Phialēs ( πρωτοσπαθάριος τῆς Φιάλης ), an official who acted as a judge for the rowers of the Byzantine fleet stationed around the capital, Constantinople. Like the exact description of the duties of this office, the term phialē ("water basin") remains a mystery ; it could possibly refer to the imperial port of the Bukoleon Palace .

Well-known foreign protospatharioi

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The term “Prōtospatharios” was often abbreviated ἀσπαθάριος aspatharios on seals and documents , from the Greek ordinal number αʹ aʹ , “first”.
  2. ^ John B. Bury : The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century. London 1911, p. 27; The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium . Volume 3, p. 1748.
  3. ^ John B. Bury: The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century. London 1911, p. 27.
  4. ^ John B. Bury: The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century. London 1911, p. 22.
  5. ↑ A litra (Greek λίτρα ), more precisely the logarikē or chrysaphikē type, corresponded to 324 grams, cf. The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 2, p. 1238.
  6. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 3, p. 1748; Leonora Neville: Authority in Byzantine Provincial Society. Cambridge 2004, p. 27.
  7. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 3, p. 1748.
  8. ^ John B. Bury: The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century. London 1911, pp. 22, 123.
  9. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 1, p. 454.
  10. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 2, p. 1189; Volume 3, p. 1748.
  11. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 1, p. 266; John B. Bury: The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century. London 1911, pp. 111-112.
  12. ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Volume 3, p. 1748.

literature