Logothetes tou stratiotikou
Encyclopedia
The logothetēs toū stratiōtikou , rendered in English
as the Logothete of the Military or Military Logothete, was a Byzantine
imperial official
in charge of the pay and provisioning of the Byzantine army
.
, but the military chest (Greek: το στρατιωτικόν, to stratiōtikon) was eventually detached and formed as a separate logothesion. The first attested logothetēs toū stratiōtikou was Julian, the "most glorious apo hypatōn and patrikios" in 680. The office disappears after 1088.
The exact sphere of duties of the logothete is somewhat obscure. The only direct evidence as to his functions comes from the 10th-century De Ceremoniis
of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959), according to which he oversaw the imposition and exemption from taxes on the households of soldiers. It is also known that by the 11th century, he exercised some juridical functions. Several scholars (notably E. Stein) have argued that the Military Logothete supervised military affairs in general, such as the levying of troops, the construction of fortifications and the overall military expenditure. This hypothesis, however, cannot be proved.
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 Logothete of the Military or Military Logothete, was a Byzantine
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...
imperial official
Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy
The Byzantine Empire had a complex system of aristocracy and bureaucracy, which was inherited from the Roman Empire. At the apex of the pyramid stood the Emperor, sole ruler and divinely ordained, but beneath him a multitude of officials and court functionaries operated the administrative...
in charge of the pay and provisioning of the Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
.
History and functions
This duty was originally exercised by the praetorian prefecturePraetorian 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...
, but the military chest (Greek: το στρατιωτικόν, to stratiōtikon) was eventually detached and formed as a separate logothesion. The first attested logothetēs toū stratiōtikou was Julian, the "most glorious apo hypatōn and patrikios" in 680. The office disappears after 1088.
The exact sphere of duties of the logothete is somewhat obscure. The only direct evidence as to his functions comes from the 10th-century De Ceremoniis
De Ceremoniis
De Ceremoniis is the Latin title of a description of ceremonial protocol at the court of the Eastern Roman emperor in Constantinople. It is sometimes called De ceremoniis aulae byzantinae...
of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959), according to which he oversaw the imposition and exemption from taxes on the households of soldiers. It is also known that by the 11th century, he exercised some juridical functions. Several scholars (notably E. Stein) have argued that the Military Logothete supervised military affairs in general, such as the levying of troops, the construction of fortifications and the overall military expenditure. This hypothesis, however, cannot be proved.
Subordinate officials
The subordinates of the logothetēs tou stratiōtikou were:- The chartoularioi of the sekreton (Greek: ), the senior subaltern officials of the department.
- The chartoularioi of the themata (Greek: ) and the tagmata (Greek: ), supervising the financial affairs of the thematic troops and the imperial tagmata, respectively.
- A number of legatarioi (Greek: λεγατάριοι), whose exact function is unknown.
- The optiones (Greek: , from Latin optioOptioAn optio , sometimes anglicized option , was a soldier in the Roman army who held a position similar to that of an executive officer in modern armies...
), officials responsible for the distribution of pay to the troops. - A number of kankellarioi under a prōtokankellarios.
- A number of mandatoresMandatorThe mandatōr , deriving from the Latin word for "messenger", was a subaltern official in the middle Byzantine Empire.The mandatores were a corps of messengers for special duties attached to the bureau of all senior civil and military officials, such as the thematic stratēgoi, the commanders of the...
("messengers").