The megas doux was one of the highest positions in the hierarchy

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...

 of the later 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...

, denoting the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine navy

Byzantine navy

The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state then its earlier iterations...

. It is sometimes also given by the half-Latinizations megaduke or megadux (from Greek μεγαδούξ). The Greek word δούξ is the hellenized form of the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 term dux

Dux

Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....

, meaning leader or commander.

History and functions

The office was initially created by Alexios I Komnenos

Alexios I Komnenos

Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...

 (r. 1081–1118), who reformed the derelict Byzantine navy

Byzantine navy

The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state then its earlier iterations...

 and amalgamated the remnants of its various provincial squadrons into a unified force under the megas doux. The Emperor's brother-in-law John Doukas

John Doukas (megas doux)

John Doukas was a member of the Doukas family, a relative of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and a senior military figure of his reign. As governor of Dyrrhachium he secured the imperial possessions in the western Balkans against the Serbs...

 is usually considered to have been the first to hold the title, being raised to it in 1092, when he was tasked with suppressing the Turkish emir Tzachas. There is however a document dated to December 1085, where a monk Niketas signs as supervisor of the estates of an unnamed megas doux. The office of "doux of the fleet" , with similar responsibilities and hence perhaps a precursor of the office of megas doux, is also mentioned at the time, being given ca. 1086 to Manuel Boutoumites

Manuel Boutoumites

Manuel Boutoumites or Butumites was a leading Byzantine general and diplomat during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos , and one of that emperor's most trusted aides...

 and in 1090 to Constantine Dalassenos

Constantine Dalassenos (thalassokrator)

Constantine Dalassenos was a prominent Byzantine military leader on land and sea during the early reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos . Information on his life is only known from the Alexiad of Anna Komnene.- Life :...

.

John Doukas, the first known megas doux, led campaigns on both land and sea and was responsible for the re-establishment of firm Byzantine control over the Aegean

Aegean Sea

The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...

 and the islands of Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

 and Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 in the years 1092–1093 and over western Anatolia

Anatolia

Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...

 in 1097. From this time the megas doux was also given overall control of the provinces of Hellas

Hellas (theme)

The Theme of Hellas was a Byzantine military-civilian province located in southern Greece. The theme encompassed parts of Central Greece, Thessaly and, until circa 800, the Peloponnese...

, the Peloponnese

Peloponnese (theme)

The Theme of the Peloponnese was a Byzantine military-civilian province encompassing the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. It was established in circa 800, and its capital was Corinth.-History:...

 and Crete

Byzantine Crete

The island of Crete came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire in two periods: the first extends from the late Roman period to the conquest of the island by Andalusian exiles in the late 820s, and the second from the island's reconquest in 961 to its capture by the competing forces of Genoa and...

, which chiefly provided the manpower and resources for the fleet. However, since the megas doux was one of the Empire's senior officials, and mostly involved with the central government and various military campaigns, de factο governance of these provinces rested with the local praitōr and the various local leaders. During the 12th century, the post was dominated by the Kontostephanos family; one of its members, the megas doux Andronikos Kontostephanos

Andronikos Kontostephanos

Andronikos Kontostephanos, Latinized Andronicus Contostephanus was a major figure in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos; he was a general, admiral, politician and a leading aristocrat...

 was one of the most important officers of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos

Manuel I Komnenos

Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....

 (r. 1143–1180), assisting him in achieving many land and naval victories.

With the virtual disappearance of the Byzantine fleet after the Fourth Crusade

Fourth Crusade

The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...

, the title was retained as an honorific in the Empire 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...

, where Michael VIII Palaiologos

Michael VIII Palaiologos

Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...

 (r. 1259–1282) assumed the title when he became regent for John IV Laskaris

John IV Laskaris

John IV Doukas Laskaris was emperor of Nicaea from August 18, 1258 to December 25, 1261...

 (r. 1258–1261). It was also used by the Latin Empire

Latin Empire

The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...

: in 1207 the Latin emperor awarded the island of Lemnos

Lemnos

Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...

 and the hereditary title of megadux to the Venetian Filocalo Navigajoso

Filocalo Navigajoso

Filocalo Navigajoso was a Venetian nobleman and first Latin ruler of the island of Lemnos in Greece....

 ("imperiali privilegio Imperii Megaducha est effectus"). His descendants inherited the title and the rule of Lemnos until evicted by the Byzantines in 1278.

After the recovery of Constantinople in 1261, it reverted to its old function as commander-in-chief of the navy, and remained a high rank for the remainder of the empire, its holder ranking sixth after the emperor, between the prōtovestiarios

Protovestiarios

Protovestiarios was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs.-History and functions:The title is first attested in 412, as the comes sacrae vestis, an official in charge of the Byzantine emperor's "sacred wardrobe" , coming under the praepositus sacri cubiculi...

and the prōtostratōr

Protostrator

Prōtostratōr was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master, which in the last centuries of the Empire evolved into one of the senior military offices...

. As such, it was also sometimes conferred upon foreigners in imperial service, the most notable among these being the Italian Licario

Licario

Licario, called Ikarios by the Greek chroniclers, was a Byzantine admiral of Italian origin in the 13th century. At odds with the barons of his native Euboea, he entered the service of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos , and reconquered many of the Aegean islands for him in the 1270s...

, who recovered many Aegean islands for Emperor Michael VIII, and Roger de Flor

Roger de Flor

Roger de Flor , also known as Ruggero/Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores, was a military adventurer active in Sicily, Italy and the Byzantine Empire...

, head of the Catalan Company

Catalan Company

The Catalan Company of the East , officially the Magnas Societas Catalanorum, sometimes called the Grand Company and widely known as the Catalan Company, was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in the early 14th-century...

. After the mid-14th century, the office was sometimes held together with the office of mesazōn

Mesazon

The mesazōn was a high dignitary and official during the last centuries of the Byzantine Empire, who acted as the chief minister and principal aide of the Emperor.- History and functions :...

, the chief of the imperial secretariat

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 this capacity, Alexios Apokaukos

Alexios Apokaukos

Alexios Apokaukos was a leading Byzantine statesman and high-ranking military officer during the reigns of emperors Andronikos III Palaiologos and John V Palaiologos...

 served as one of the leading members of the imperial government during the Civil War of 1341–1347

Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347

The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 was a conflict between supporters of designated regent John VI Kantakouzenos and guardians acting for John V Palaiologos, Emperor Andronikos III's nine-year-old son, in the persons of the Empress-dowager Anna of Savoy, the Patriarch of Constantinople John XIV...

, supporting John V Palaiologos

John V Palaiologos

John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...

 (r. 1341–1391) against John VI Kantakouzenos

John VI Kantakouzenos

John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...

 (r. 1347–1354). The last and perhaps most famous megas doux and mesazōn was Loukas Notaras

Loukas Notaras

Loukas Notaras was the last Megas Doux of the Byzantine Empire. This position had been expanded under the late Palaiologid emperors and functioned as an unofficial Prime Minister, overseeing the Imperial Bureaucracy in place of the Megas Logothetes who had previously...

, who served under Constantine XI Palaiologos (r. 1449–1453) until the Fall of Constantinople

Fall of Constantinople

The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...

.

List of known holders

Name	Tenure	Emperor(s)	Notes	Refs
John Doukas John Doukas (megas doux) John Doukas was a member of the Doukas family, a relative of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and a senior military figure of his reign. As governor of Dyrrhachium he secured the imperial possessions in the western Balkans against the Serbs...	1092 – unknown	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	Brother-in-law of Alexios I, previously governor of Dyrrhachium Dyrrhachium (theme) The Theme of Dyrrhachium was a Byzantine military-civilian province located in modern Albania, covering the Adriatic coast of the country...
Landulf	1099–1105	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	Admiral of Western origin
Isaac Kontostephanos Isaac Kontostephanos Isaac Kontostephanos was a Byzantine admiral during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos , marked by his incompetence in the wars against the Normans....	1105–1108	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	Dismissed for his incompetence in the wars against Bohemond
Marianos Maurokatakalon	1108 – unknown	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	Successor of Isaac Konstostephanos
Eumathios Philokales Eumathios Philokales Eumathios Philokales was a high-ranking Byzantine military leader and administrator during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos , most notably as governor of Cyprus for twenty years, from 1093 to ca. 1112...	after 1112 – after 1118	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	previously judicial official in Greece and long-time governor of Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
Constantine Opos Constantine Opos (megas doux) Constantine Opos was a notable Byzantine general and aristocrat in the first half of the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos . He participated in the wars against the Normans and the Seljuk Turks, eventually reaching the rank of megas doux .- Life :He first appears in the Alexiad in 1081, during...	Unknown	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	Distinguished general in the campaigns against the Turks
Leo Nikerites	Unknown	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...	Eunuch, previously governor in Bulgaria and the Peloponnese Peloponnese (theme) The Theme of the Peloponnese was a Byzantine military-civilian province encompassing the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. It was established in circa 800, and its capital was Corinth.-History:...
Nikephoros Vatatzes	Unknown	Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...  (?)	Known only through a seal, possibly dating to the reign of Alexios I
Stephen Kontostephanos	ca. 1145 (?) – 1149	Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....	Brother-in-law of Manuel I, was killed in office in 1149
Alexios Komnenos	ca. 1155 – after 1161	Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....	Son of Anna Komnene Anna Komnene Anna Komnene, Latinized as Comnena was a Greek princess and scholar and the daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos of Byzantium and Irene Doukaina...  and Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger
Andronikos Kontostephanos Andronikos Kontostephanos Andronikos Kontostephanos, Latinized Andronicus Contostephanus was a major figure in the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos; he was a general, admiral, politician and a leading aristocrat...	after 1161 – 1182	Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....	Manuel's nephew, he was the emperor's most trusted and distinguished general. Blinded by Andronikos I Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185). He was the son of Isaac Komnenos and grandson of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.-Early years:...  in 1182
John Komnenos	Unknown	Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....	First cousin of Manuel I, son of the sebastokrator Andronikos Komnenos. He fell at Myriokephalon Battle of Myriokephalon The Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as the ', or in Turkish, was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phrygia on September 17, 1176. The battle was a strategic reverse for the Byzantine forces, who were ambushed when moving through a mountain pass...  in 1176
Constantine Angelos	Unknown	Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....	Afterwards governor of Philippopolis Philippopolis The term Philippopolis , which translates as "Philip's Town," may refer to the following cities:*Plovdiv, Bulgaria *Shahba, Syria... , he led an unsuccessful usurpation attempt
Michael Stryphnos	ca. 1195 – after 1201/1202	Alexios III Angelos Alexios III Angelos Alexios III Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from 1195 to 1203.- Early life:Alexios III Angelos was the second son of Andronikos Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa. Andronicus was himself a son of Theodora Komnene, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. Thus...	A favourite of Alexios III. He reportedly sold off the fleet's equipment to enrich himself
Theodotos Phokas	ca. 1210	Theodore I Laskaris Theodore I Laskaris Theodoros I Komnenos Laskaris was emperor of Nicaea .-Family:Theodore Laskaris was born to the Laskaris, a noble but not particularly renowned Byzantine family of Constantinople. He was the son of Manuel Laskaris and wife Ioanna Karatzaina . He had four older brothers: Manuel Laskaris Theodoros...	Uncle of Theodore I, emperor 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... , known only from a monastic property deed dating to between 1206 and 1212
Michael Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...	1258	John IV Laskaris John IV Laskaris John IV Doukas Laskaris was emperor of Nicaea from August 18, 1258 to December 25, 1261...	The future Michael VIII, he assumed the office after the murder of George Mouzalon George Mouzalon George Mouzalon was a high official of the Empire of Nicaea under Theodore II Laskaris . Of humble origin, he became Theodore's companion in childhood and was raised to high state office upon the latter's assumption of power. This caused great resentment from the aristocracy, which had monopolized... , when he was named regent for the young John IV. He was soon after raised to despotes Despotes Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent... and eventually to emperor.
Michael Laskaris	1259 – ca. 1272	Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...	Brother of Theodore I, due to his advanced age he never held actual command of the fleet. He held the office until his death
Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos was a Byzantine nobleman and distinguished admiral, with the rank of protostrator and later megas doux, during the reign of Michael VIII Palaiologos .- Life :...	ca. 1272 – ca. 1275	Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...	Previously protostrator Protostrator Prōtostratōr was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master, which in the last centuries of the Empire evolved into one of the senior military offices... and de facto commander of the fleet since ca. 1263. Held the office of megas doux until his death
Licario Licario Licario, called Ikarios by the Greek chroniclers, was a Byzantine admiral of Italian origin in the 13th century. At odds with the barons of his native Euboea, he entered the service of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos , and reconquered many of the Aegean islands for him in the 1270s...	ca. 1275 – unknown	Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...	Italian renegade who entered Byzantine service, he conquered Negroponte Lordship of Negroponte The Lordship of Negroponte was a crusader state established on the island of Euboea after the partition of the Byzantine Empire following the Fourth Crusade. Partitioned into three baronies run by a few interrelated Lombard families, the island soon fell under the influence of the Republic of...  and many of the Aegean islands
Roger de Flor Roger de Flor Roger de Flor , also known as Ruggero/Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores, was a military adventurer active in Sicily, Italy and the Byzantine Empire...	1303–1304	Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...	Leader of the mercenary Catalan Company Catalan Company The Catalan Company of the East , officially the Magnas Societas Catalanorum, sometimes called the Grand Company and widely known as the Catalan Company, was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in the early 14th-century... . He resigned his post in late 1304 favour of his lieutenant, Berenguer de Entença, and was murdered a few months later
Berenguer de Entença	1304–1305	Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...	Roger de Flor's lieutenant and successor as leader of the mercenary Catalan Company Catalan Company The Catalan Company of the East , officially the Magnas Societas Catalanorum, sometimes called the Grand Company and widely known as the Catalan Company, was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in the early 14th-century... . He resigned his office after disagreeing with the emperor	Nicol (1993), p. 131
Fernand Ximenes de Arenos	1307/1308 – unknown	Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...	One of the leaders of the Catalan Company Catalan Company The Catalan Company of the East , officially the Magnas Societas Catalanorum, sometimes called the Grand Company and widely known as the Catalan Company, was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in the early 14th-century... , he was named megas doux defected to the Byzantines
Syrgiannes Palaiologos	1321–1322	Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...	One of the main partisans of the young Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. Andronikos III was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia...  in the Byzantine civil war of 1321–1328 Byzantine civil war of 1321–1328 The Byzantine civil war of 1321–1328 was a series of conflicts fought in the 1320s between the Byzantine emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and his grandson Andronikos III Palaiologos over control of the Byzantine Empire.-Prelude to the civil war:... , he defected to the aged Andronikos II, who rewarded him with the office of megas doux. After plotting against him as well, he was imprisoned.
Isaac Asanes	unknown – 1341	Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. Andronikos III was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia...	Replaced in office by Alexios Apokaukos
Alexios Apokaukos Alexios Apokaukos Alexios Apokaukos was a leading Byzantine statesman and high-ranking military officer during the reigns of emperors Andronikos III Palaiologos and John V Palaiologos...	1341–1345	Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. Andronikos III was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia... John V Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...	A former partisan and protégé of John Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of... , Apokaukos was instrumental in the outbreak of the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 The Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 was a conflict between supporters of designated regent John VI Kantakouzenos and guardians acting for John V Palaiologos, Emperor Andronikos III's nine-year-old son, in the persons of the Empress-dowager Anna of Savoy, the Patriarch of Constantinople John XIV... , and until his murder in 1345 led the anti-Kantakouzenist regency for John V
Asomatianos Tzamplakon Asomatianos Tzamplakon Asomatianos Tzamplakon was a Byzantine aristocrat and admiral during the Byzantine–Genoese War of 1348–1349.The Tzamplakones were an important and wealthy aristocratic family attested since the mid-13th century, when one of its members achieved the high military rank of Domestic of the Schools....	ca. 1348	John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...	Head of the fleet during the Byzantine–Genoese War of 1348–1349 Byzantine–Genoese War (1348–1349) The Byzantine–Genoese War of 1348–1349 was fought over control over custom dues through the Bosphorus. The Byzantines attempted to break Byzantium's dependence for food and maritime commerce on the Genoese merchants of Galata, and also to rebuild their own naval power... . He died some time before 1356
[Paul?] Mamonas	early 15th century	Manuel II Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...	The Mamonas family were hereditary rulers of Monemvasia Monemvasia Monemvasia is a town and a municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The peninsula is linked to the mainland by a short causeway 200m in length. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 metres above sea level, up to...
Manuel	unknown – 1410	Manuel II Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...	Mentioned only in an anonymous chronicle as dying of an epidemic in 1410
Paraspondelos	ca. 1437	John VIII Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.-Life:John VIII Palaiologos was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš...	Known only as the father-in-law of Demetrios Palaiologos Demetrios Palaiologos Demetrios Palaiologos or Demetrius Palaeologus , Despot in the Morea de facto 1436–1438 and 1451–1460 and de jure 1438–1451, previously governor of Lemnos 1422–1440, and of Mesembria 1440–1451...
Loukas Notaras Loukas Notaras Loukas Notaras was the last Megas Doux of the Byzantine Empire. This position had been expanded under the late Palaiologid emperors and functioned as an unofficial Prime Minister, overseeing the Imperial Bureaucracy in place of the Megas Logothetes who had previously...	after 1441 – 1453	John VIII Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.-Life:John VIII Palaiologos was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš... Constantine XI Palaiologos	Notaras served both John VIII and Constantine XI as chief minister, and was executed by the Ottomans after the Fall of Constantinople Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...

Cultural references

In the famous 1490 Valencian

Valencian

Valencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...

 epic

Epic poetry

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...

 romance

Romance (genre)

As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...

 Tirant lo Blanc

Tirant lo Blanc

Tirant lo Blanch or Tirant lo Blanc is a romance written by the Valencian knight Joanot Martorell and published in Valencia in 1490. The title means "Tirant the White" and is the name of the main character in the romance...

, the valiant knight Tirant the White from Brittany gets to Constantinople and becomes a Byzantine megadux. This story has no basis in actual history, though it might have been inspired by the above-mentioned cases of the office being conferred upon foreigners.