Praepositus sacri cubiculi
Encyclopedia
The praepositus sacri cubiculi ("provost of the sacred bedchamber", in ) was one of the senior palace offices in the late
Roman Empire
. Its holder was usually a eunuch, and acted as the grand chamberlain
of the palace, wielding considerable authority and influence. In the 7th or 8th century, the title was also given to an order of rank
for eunuch palace servants. The title and office continued in use in the Byzantine Empire
until the late 11th century.
under Emperor Constantius II
(r. 337–361), but the position may have been introduced already under Emperor Constantine I
(r. 306–337), in replacement of the older a cubiculo. He controlled the corps of the cubicularii
, also eunuchs, and was responsible for the imperial bedchamber, wardrobe
and receptions. Originally under the control of the castrensis sacri palatii, he soon became directly subordinated to the Byzantine emperor. His proximity to the Byzantine emperor gave him great power, and several praepositi wielded considerable influence in the governance of the Byzantine Empire. In the Notitia Dignitatum
, the praepositus is listed immediately after the praetorian prefect
s, the urban prefect and the magistri militum. However, due to the loss of the relevant pages of the Notitia, we do not know the structure of his officium. Senior assistants were the primicerius sacri cubiculi and the comes sacrae vestis.
During the 4th-5th centuries, the praepositus gained in power: in the late 4th century, he gained control over the imperial estates of Cappadocia
(the domus divina per Cappadociam of the Notitia), and was elevated in rank to vir illustris
and the equivalent of quaestor
. A separate praepositus was also established for the household of the Byzantine empress (praepositus Augustae
), with a similar structure of subordinate officials. In the Western Roman Empire
, the post continued in existence until its fall, and was also used in the court of the Ostrogoth king
Theodoric the Great
, where it was held by a Goth
, Triwila. In the mid-6th century, however, the supervision of the Cappadocian estates was entrusted to a separate official in charge of the imperial patrimony, and its authority declined.
In the 7th-8th centuries, paralleling changes in many other administrative offices, the position of praepositus, or praipositos in Greek, was much reduced in power, as parts of his officium were split off. The cubicularii of the bedchamber (distinguished as , koitōnitai in Greek) were separated under the parakoimōmenos
, while the imperial wardrobe under its head, the prōtovestiarios
, was also made into a separate department. The praipositos continued to supervise the remainder of the koubikoularioi, with the primikērios tou kouboukleiou as his chief aide. He retained a considerable role in court ceremonies, and ranked in the higher class of the patrikioi. According to Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959), the praipositos, together with the prōtomagistros and the eparch of Constantinople used to form a regency
in the Byzantine emperor's absence.
The continuing actual office of praipositos, however, is not to be confused with the dignity (Greek: δια βραβείου άξια, dia brabeiou axia) of the same name, which was a court rank created in the 7th or 8th century and restricted to eunuchs. According to Philotheos's
Klētorologion
of 899, it ranked below the dignity of patrikios and above that of prōtospatharios
, and the insignia (brabeion) of the office were ivory
tablets. The title is last attested in 1087.
Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Its holder was usually a eunuch, and acted as the grand chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
of the palace, wielding considerable authority and influence. In the 7th or 8th century, the title was also given to an order of rank
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...
for eunuch palace servants. The title and office continued in use in the 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...
until the late 11th century.
History and evolution
The first securely identifiable holder of the office was EusebiusEusebius (praepositus sacri cubiculi)
Eusebius was a high-ranking officer of the Roman Empire, holding the position of praepositus sacri cubiculi for all the rule of Emperor Constantius II .- Biography :...
under Emperor Constantius II
Constantius II
Constantius II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death....
(r. 337–361), but the position may have been introduced already under Emperor Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
(r. 306–337), in replacement of the older a cubiculo. He controlled the corps of the cubicularii
Cubicularius
Cubicularius, Hellenized as koubikoularios , was a title used for the eunuch chamberlains of the imperial palace in the later Roman Empire and in the Byzantine Empire...
, also eunuchs, and was responsible for the imperial bedchamber, wardrobe
Wardrobe
A Wardrobe is a cabinet used for storing clothes.Wardrobe may also refer to:* Wardrobe , a full set of multiple clothing items* Wardrobe , part of royal administration in medieval England...
and receptions. Originally under the control of the castrensis sacri palatii, he soon became directly subordinated to the Byzantine emperor. His proximity to the Byzantine emperor gave him great power, and several praepositi wielded considerable influence in the governance of the Byzantine Empire. In the Notitia Dignitatum
Notitia Dignitatum
The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires, listing several thousand offices from the imperial court down to the provincial...
, the praepositus is listed immediately after the praetorian prefect
Praetorian prefect
Praetorian prefect was the title of a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides...
s, the urban prefect and the magistri militum. However, due to the loss of the relevant pages of the Notitia, we do not know the structure of his officium. Senior assistants were the primicerius sacri cubiculi and the comes sacrae vestis.
During the 4th-5th centuries, the praepositus gained in power: in the late 4th century, he gained control over the imperial estates of Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
(the domus divina per Cappadociam of the Notitia), and was elevated in rank to vir illustris
Vir illustris
The title vir illustris is used as a formal indication of standing in late antiquity to describe the highest ranks within the senates of Rome and Constantinople...
and the equivalent of quaestor
Quaestor
A Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
. A separate praepositus was also established for the household of the Byzantine empress (praepositus Augustae
Augusta (honorific)
Augusta was the imperial honorific title of empresses. It was given to the women of the Roman and Byzantine imperial families. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum and Mater Patriae .The title implied the greatest prestige, with the Augustae able to...
), with a similar structure of subordinate officials. In the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, the post continued in existence until its fall, and was also used in the court of the Ostrogoth king
Ostrogothic Kingdom
The Kingdom established by the Ostrogoths in Italy and neighbouring areas lasted from 493 to 553. In Italy the Ostrogoths replaced Odoacer, the de facto ruler of Italy who had deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The Gothic kingdom reached its zenith under the rule of its...
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
, where it was held by a Goth
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
, Triwila. In the mid-6th century, however, the supervision of the Cappadocian estates was entrusted to a separate official in charge of the imperial patrimony, and its authority declined.
In the 7th-8th centuries, paralleling changes in many other administrative offices, the position of praepositus, or praipositos in Greek, was much reduced in power, as parts of his officium were split off. The cubicularii of the bedchamber (distinguished as , koitōnitai in Greek) were separated under the parakoimōmenos
Parakoimomenos
The parakoimōmenos was a Byzantine court position, usually reserved for eunuchs. Many of its holders, especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, functioned as the Byzantine Empire's chief ministers.-History and functions:...
, while the imperial wardrobe under its head, 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...
, was also made into a separate department. The praipositos continued to supervise the remainder of the koubikoularioi, with the primikērios tou kouboukleiou as his chief aide. He retained a considerable role in court ceremonies, and ranked in the higher class of the patrikioi. According to Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959), the praipositos, together with the prōtomagistros and the eparch of Constantinople used to form a regency
Regency
Regency is the rule of a regent. It may also refer to:* Specific periods when a throne was vacant:** Regency in France, 1715–1723, a.k.a. Régence** British Regency, 1811–1820*The Hōjō Regency during the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.- Other:...
in the Byzantine emperor's absence.
The continuing actual office of praipositos, however, is not to be confused with the dignity (Greek: δια βραβείου άξια, dia brabeiou axia) of the same name, which was a court rank created in the 7th or 8th century and restricted to eunuchs. According to Philotheos's
Philotheos
- People :* Philotheos Bryennios , Greek Orthodox bishop* Pope Philotheos of Alexandria, in office 979-1003* Philotheus of Pskov , Russian abbot* Philotheus of Samosata, a companion in martyrdom of Romanus of Samosata...
Klētorologion
Kletorologion
The Klētorologion of Philotheos , is the longest and most important of the Byzantine lists of offices and court precedence . It was published in September of 899 during the reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise by the otherwise unknown prōtospatharios and atriklinēs Philotheos...
of 899, it ranked below the dignity of patrikios and above that of prōtospatharios
Protospatharios
Prōtospatharios was one of the highest court dignities of the middle Byzantine period , awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.-History:...
, and the insignia (brabeion) of the office were ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
tablets. The title is last attested in 1087.
Notable praepositi
- EusebiusEusebius (praepositus sacri cubiculi)Eusebius was a high-ranking officer of the Roman Empire, holding the position of praepositus sacri cubiculi for all the rule of Emperor Constantius II .- Biography :...
(337–361) - Eutherius (356–360)
- EutropiusEutropius (Byzantine official)Eutropius was a fourth century Eastern Roman official.He began his career as a eunuch in the palace of Theodosius I. After Theodosius' death in 395 he successfully arranged the marriage of the new emperor, Arcadius, to Aelia Eudoxia, having blocked an attempt by Arcadius' chief minister, Rufinus,...
(East, circa 395–399) - Deuterius (West, 408)
- Terentius (West, 408–409)
- Eusebius (West, 409)
- Lausus (East, 420)
- ChrysaphiusChrysaphiusChrysaphius was a eunuch at the Eastern Roman court, who became the chief minister of Theodosius II . Effectively the ruler of the empire during his ascendancy, he pursued a policy of appeasement towards the Huns, which cost the empire far more gold than any military campaign, while amassing a...
(443–450) - Lauricius (West, 443–444)
- Triwila (Ostrogothic Italy, early 520s)
- Urbicius (East, 470–481 and 491)
- NarsesNarsesNarses was, with Belisarius, one of the great generals in the service of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I during the "Reconquest" that took place during Justinian's reign....
(East, 537/538–554 or 558/559)