Tzaousios
Encyclopedia
The tzaousios was a late Byzantine
military office, whose exact functions and role are somewhat unclear.
The term is derived from the Turkish
çavuş, meaning "courier" or "messenger", and was in use by the Byzantines perhaps as early as the late 11th century. In the 13th–15th centuries, it became applied to officers serving in provincial posts. A tzaousios could serve as commander of the garrison of a kastron (a fortified administrative center run by a kephale
), possibly combining the military and administrative roles, to the megala allagia
of the imperial field army. Most of the tzaousioi mentioned in the sources came from the Byzantine Morea, where they played an important role in provincial administration. In Macedonia
and Thrace
by contrast, they seem to have been limited to a purely military role within the megala allagia.
The title of megas tzaousios (Greek: μέγας τζαούσιος, "grand tzaousios") is first attested under John III Vatatzes (r. 1221–1254). His functions are unclear. The French Byzantinist Rodolphe Guilland suggested that he was in command of subordinated tzaousioi, who acted as the successors of the earlier imperial courier corps, the mandatores
. In pseudo-Kodinos's mid-14th century Book of Offices, he is described as being responsible for maintaining the order of the imperial retinue. Certainly, the first megas tzaousios, Constantine Margarites, was the commander of Vatazes's personal retinue, but in later times, it does not appear to have had a fixed function.
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...
military office, whose exact functions and role are somewhat unclear.
The term is derived from the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
çavuş, meaning "courier" or "messenger", and was in use by the Byzantines perhaps as early as the late 11th century. In the 13th–15th centuries, it became applied to officers serving in provincial posts. A tzaousios could serve as commander of the garrison of a kastron (a fortified administrative center run by a kephale
Kephale (Byzantine Empire)
In the late Byzantine Empire, the term kephalē was used to denote local and provincial governors.It entered use in the second half of the 13th century, and was derived from the colloquial language. Consequently, it never became an established title or rank of the Byzantine imperial hierarchy, but...
), possibly combining the military and administrative roles, to the megala allagia
Allagion
The allagion was a Byzantine military term designating a military unit. It first appeared in the mid-to-late 10th century, and by the 13th century had become the most frequent term used for the Byzantine army's standing regiments, persisting until the late 14th century.-Origin of the term:The term...
of the imperial field army. Most of the tzaousioi mentioned in the sources came from the Byzantine Morea, where they played an important role in provincial administration. In Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
and Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
by contrast, they seem to have been limited to a purely military role within the megala allagia.
The title of megas tzaousios (Greek: μέγας τζαούσιος, "grand tzaousios") is first attested under John III Vatatzes (r. 1221–1254). His functions are unclear. The French Byzantinist Rodolphe Guilland suggested that he was in command of subordinated tzaousioi, who acted as the successors of the earlier imperial courier corps, the mandatores
Mandator
The 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...
. In pseudo-Kodinos's mid-14th century Book of Offices, he is described as being responsible for maintaining the order of the imperial retinue. Certainly, the first megas tzaousios, Constantine Margarites, was the commander of Vatazes's personal retinue, but in later times, it does not appear to have had a fixed function.