Logothetes tou genikou

The Template:Transliteration (Template:Langx, often called Template:Transliteration or simply Template:Transliteration (, 'the general [logothete]'), and usually rendered in English as the General Logothete, was in charge of the 'general financial ministry', the Template:Transliteration of the middle Byzantine Empire.

History and functions

File:Seal of the proedros and genikos logothetes Basileios Xeros.png

Seal of the Template:Transliteration and Template:Transliteration Basil Xeros (11th/12th centuries)

The Template:Transliteration was responsible for general taxation and revenue, and also served as a court for financial cases. As such, it broadly fulfilled the tasks of the earlier , although it was mostly derived from the "general department" of the praetorian prefecture.Template:Sfn The first attested Template:Transliteration, the monk Theodotos, is mentioned in 692, but the post may have been instituted as early as 626.Template:Sfn The bureau of the Template:Transliteration and its logothete remained one of the chief ministries for the entire middle Byzantine period (7th–12th centuries), with the 899 Klētorologion of Philotheos recording the position as ranking 33rd in the imperial hierarchy.Template:Sfn During the Komnenian period, its importance declined, but recovered under the Angeloi. Following the sack of Constantinople in 1204 and the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire, the office of the Template:Transliteration was retained as a purely honorary title by the successor state of Nicaea and the restored Palaiologan Empire after 1261.

The mid-14th century writer Pseudo-Kodinos records him in the 20th place in the imperial hierarchy, between the Template:Transliteration of the imperial bedchamber and the Template:Transliteration.Template:Sfn His distinctive court dress and insignia during this time were a brimmed hat called Template:Transliteration of white silk, a silk long kaftan-like Template:Transliteration, and for ceremonies and festivities, a domed Template:Transliteration hat of white and gold silk, with gold-wire embroidery and decorated with images of the emperor in the front and back. Unlike other officials, he bore no staff of office (Template:Transliteration).Template:Sfn Amongst the Palaiologan-era holders were significant intellectuals and statesmen, such as George Akropolites and Theodore Metochites. The last recorded Template:Transliteration was a certain John Androuses in 1380. By that time, however, its original functions had long been forgotten; as the Pseudo-Kodinos records, "the function of the General Logothete is unknown".Template:Sfn

Subordinate officials

The subordinates of the logothetēs tou genikou were:

• The Template:Transliteration (, 'great chartularies of the department'), the heads of the various departments.Template:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration (, where means '[money] box"' i.e. 'treasury') or Template:Transliteration (, 'outer chartularies'). As their name signifies, they were the senior treasury officials posted in the provinces ('outer', i.e. outside Constantinople).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration of the Template:Transliteration (), who were the officials charged with control of taxation in the provinces.Template:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration (, 'counts of the waters'), officials probably in charge of aqueducts and water supply in the provinces.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration () or simply Template:Transliteration, whose precise functions are unknown. It is attested that he was in charge of tax exemptions, and had various juridical duties in some Template:Transliteration in the 11th century; the office may have been associated with the imperial domains (Template:Transliteration). By the 11th century, the office had become an independent bureau, but vanishes after that.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration (), who were customs officials. Attested since the early 6th century, they are likely the successors of the mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. Initially stationed at the frontier, after the 7th century they were placed at ports or in charge over entire Template:Transliteration or individual islands.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration [of the Template:Transliteration] (, 'in charge of the curatorship [of the imperial domains]'), who supervised the imperial estates.Template:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration (), an official probably in charge of the mines and gold bullion (cf. Template:Langx, 'gold, precious metals'). It is therefore usually assumed that he is the successor of the old . From sigillographic evidence through the 11th century, this office was sometimes combined with the positions of Template:Transliteration ('in charge of the Template:Transliteration", a class of senior courtiers) and of one of the Template:Transliteration of the Template:Transliteration.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration (), officials who supervised the collection of taxes, assisted by a number of Template:Transliteration ('agents').Template:Sfn
• The Template:Transliteration (κομ[β]εντιανός), an official of unknown function.Template:Sfn
• A number of Template:Transliteration (, from Template:Langx) under a Template:Transliteration. Originally senior officials in the praetorian prefecture, in the middle Byzantine period they were mid-level secretaries in the various ministries.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Sources

• Template:The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century
• Template:Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
• Template:New Cambridge Medieval History