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augusta
A formal title bestowed by an emperor on his wife, the empress, frequently after the birth of a son and heir. Rarely and extraordinary the title was bestowed on distinguished personages who belong to the emperor’s family.
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caesar
In the Roman Empire the title of Caesar was given to the Emperor. From the reign of Diocletian (284-305) on this title was conferred on the young co-emperor. This was also the highest title on the hierarchy of the Byzantine court. In the 8th c. the title of Caesar was usually given to the successor of the throne. In the late 11th c. this office was downgraded and from the 14th c. on it was mainly conferred on foreign princes.
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doukas (lat. dux)
Antiquity: Roman military commander who, in some provinces, combined military and civil functions.Buzantium: a higher military officer. From the second half of the 10th c. the title indicates the military comander of a larger district. After the 12th c., doukes were called the governors of small themes.
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kourator
(lat. curator) A functionary of the Byzantine state administration or a city magistrate, he was manager of public or private foundations as well as of imperial estates.
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litra (lat. libra)
A unit of weigth varying according to size. The most common was the "logarike litra", established at the time of cosntantine I in 309-310 as the basis of the monetary system. It was estimated as weighing ca. 324 or 319 g and was divides into 72 golden coins (solidi). One hundred litrai made a kentenarion.
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oikonomos
1. Antiquity: The oikonomos (treasurer) was responsible for the payments for inscriptions, sacrifices, xenia and construction of statues. 2. Medieval/Byzantine: Ecclesiastic official, the trustee for the property of a religious foundation. The post is attested already in 340 (Council of Gangra), but the term «oikonomos» is current from the early 5th C. Oikonomos was usually a cleric, appointed by the bishop or, after the 11th C., by the metropolitan; however, between the 9th C. and 1057, the (megas) oikonomos of the Great Church was appointed by the emperor, though this practice departed from the ecclesiastic rule.
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orphanotrophos
A person in charge of an orphanage. The office was introduced at the time of Leo I and was originally given only to members of the clergy. In Constantinople the orphanotrophoi evolved, during the Middle and Late Byzantine period, into powerful courtiers with great influence.
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praepositos
(from lat. praepositus sacri cubiculi) The praepositos or praipositos (πραιπόσιτος του ιερού κουβουκλίου or του ευσεβεστάτου κοιτώνος) was a grand chamberlain by the Early Byzantine period the highest official, usually Eunuch, in the imperial service. After the 6th C. his functions were assumed by the parakoimomenos. The dignity involved in palace ceremony and disappeared until the end of 11th C.
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protovestiarios
(and protovestiarites) Honorific title given to high-ranking officials and future emperors during this period. The protovestiarios was originally responsible for the imperial wardrobe, but in the 9th-11th centuries the holders of the title could command an army or conduct negotiations with foreign states.
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senator, the (1. Roman, 2. Byzantine)
1. A Roman body of men that originally advised the king and then the consuls; Heredity was not the only means of joining the senate and “new men” or novi homines could become part of it; Augustus revised the senate and left the body with less power and bolstered hereditary claims as a means to enter the senate; it continued to make laws and conferred powers on new emperors.2. Member of the senate. The senate, a roman institution transferred from Rome to Constantinople by Constantine I during the Byzantine period was an advisory body whose rights and responsibilities were not clearly defined. It was consisted of imperial officers coming from the upper and were ranked according to hierarchical levels: viri illustri (perfectus praetoriae and the magister), viri spectabili (proconsul, vicarius and the comes), viri clarissimi (consul praetoriae) and viri perfectissimi (praeses and duces). Since the 6th c. AD a new title was established for the upper officers (viri gloriosi). The years that followed officials were entitled to officers regardless their position as senators or if they were about to be admitted to this body.
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