The logothetēs tou genikou , often called genikos logothetēs or simply ho genikos (Greek: ), and usually rendered in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 as the General Logothete, was in charge of the "general financial ministry", the genikon [logothesion] of the middle Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

.

History and functions

The genikon was responsible for general taxation and revenue

Revenue

In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....

, and also had served as a court for financial cases. As such, it broadly fulfilled the tasks of the earlier sacrae largitiones

Comes sacrarum largitionum

The comes sacrarum largitionum was one of the senior fiscal officials of the late Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire....

, although it was mostly derived from the "general department" of the praetorian prefecture

Praetorian prefecture

The praetorian prefecture was the largest administrative division of the late Roman Empire, above the mid-level dioceses and the low-level provinces. Praetorian prefectures originated in the reign of Constantine I The praetorian prefecture was the largest administrative division of the late Roman...

. The first attested logothetēs tou genikou, the monk Theodotos, is mentioned in 692, but the post may have been instituted as early as 626. The bureau of the genikon and its logothete remained one of the chief ministries for the entire middle Byzantine period (7th–12th centuries). During the Komnenian period, its importance declined, but recovered under the Angeloi. Following the sack

Siege of Constantinople (1204)

The Siege of Constantinople occurred in 1204; it destroyed parts of the capital of the Byzantine Empire as it was confiscated by Western European and Venetian Crusaders...

 of Constantinople in 1204 and the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire, the office was retained as a purely honorary title by the successor state of Nicaea

Empire of Nicaea

The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...

 and the restored Palaiologan Empire. Amongst its holders were significant intellectuals and statesmen, such as George Akropolites and Theodore Metochites

Theodore Metochites

Theodore Metochites was a Byzantine statesman, author, gentleman philosopher, and patron of the arts. From c. 1305 to 1328 he held the position of personal adviser to emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos.- Life :...

. The last recorded logothetēs tou genikou was a certain Ioannes Androuses in 1380. By that time, however, its original functions had long been forgotten; as Pseudo-Kodinos records, "the function of the General Logothete is unknown".

Subordinate officials

The subordinates of the logothetēs tou genikou were:

• The chartoularioi
  Chartoularios
  The chartoularios or chartularius , Anglicized as chartulary, was a late Roman and Byzantine administrative official, entrusted with administrative and fiscal duties, either as a subaltern official of a department or province or at the head of various independent bureaus.-History:The title derives...
  
   megaloi of the sekreton (Greek: , "great chartularies of the department"), the heads of the various departments.
• The chartoularioi tōn arklōn (Greek: ) or exō chartoularioi (Greek: , "outer chartularies"). As their name signifies, they were the senior treasury officials posted in the provinces ("outer", i.e. outside Constantinople).
• The epoptai of the themata (Greek: ), who were the officials charged with control of taxation in the provinces.
• The komētes hydatōn (Greek: , "counts of the waters"), officials probably in charge of aqueducts
  Aqueduct
  An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
  
   and water supply in the provinces.
• The chartoularios tou oikistikou (Greek: ) or simply ho oikistikos, whose precise functions are unknown. It is attested that he was in charge of tax exemptions, and had various juridical duties in some themata in the 11th century; the office may have been associated with the imperial domains (oikoi). By the 11th century, the office had become an independent bureau, but vanishes after that.
• The kommerkiarioi (Greek: ), who were customs officials. Attested since the early 6th century, they are likely the successors of the comes commerciorum mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. Initially stationed at the frontier, after the 7th century they were placed at ports or in charge over entire themata or islands.
• The epi tēs kouratōrias of the basilikoi oikoi (Greek: , "in charge of the curator
  Curator
  A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
  
  ship [of the imperial domains]"), who supervised the imperial estates.
• The komēs tēs lamias (Greek: ), an official probably in charge of the mines
  Mine
  Mine or mines can refer to:* Land mine, an anti-tank and anti-personnel weapon* Naval mine, an explosive device placed in water to destroy ships or submarines* Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the groundMine can also refer to:...
  
   and gold
  Gold
  Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
  
   bullion (cf. , "gold, precious metals"). It is therefore usually assumed that he is the successor of the old comes metallorum per Illyricum. From sigillographic evidence through the 11th century, this office was sometimes combined with the positions of epi tōn oikeiakōn ("in charge of the oikeiakoi", a class of senior courtiers) and of a megas chartoularios of the genikon.
• The dioikētai (Greek: ) where officials who supervised the collection of taxes, assisted by a number of praktores ("agents").
• The kom[v]entianos (Greek: κομ[β]εντιανός), of unknown function.
• A number of kankellarioi (Greek: καγκελλάριοι, from ) under a prōtokankellarios. Originally senior officials in the praetorian prefecture, in the middle Byzantine period they were mid-level secretaries in the various ministries.