anagnostes
Reader, a member of the minor clergy who read from the ambo texts from the Old Testament and the Epistles during the Liturgy.
|
chreia
An instructive exercise, part of the progymnasmata, in the teaching of rhetoric. Chreia is a brief speech of text commenting on a well-known event or saying.
|
enkyklios education
The secondary education in Byzantium. The students, from 12 years old, were taught grammar, rhetorics and eloquence.
|
megas logothetes
The head of the civil Byzantine administration. Megas logothetes was a title used at the end of the 12th century during the reign of Isaac II Angelos (1185-1195), replacing the “logothetes ton sekreton”, an office which was created during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) to bring the entire civil administration under the control of a single individual.
|
progymnasmata
A method - compilation of models - fundamental to the teaching of prose composition and rhetorics in general.
|
protapostolarios
An anagnostes (lector) who was assigned the reading of ecclesiastical writings (prophecies, epistles of the Apostles) in imperial ceremonies inside the Palace.
|
protasekretis
[proto-a-secretis]: office that appears in the 7th c. Protasectretis was head of the secreta and was appointed by the Emperor. He was aware of all pollitical and diplomatic affairs. His post required an excellent education and was considered highly confidential. In the Palaiologan period the office was reduced and eventually became a mere title.
|
protospatharios
The first spatharios. A higher byzantine official of the imperial hierarchy which usually permitted participation in the senate. It was awarded even to eunuchs. After the 11th century, it gradually lost its importance. It was also an honorary title.
|
sebastokrator
Honorary title of the Byzantine court. The office was established in 1081 by Alexios I Komnenos for his elder brother Isaac, equivalent to the one of regent
|
tomos
A term denoting the official ecclesiastical acts.
|