(σπαθαροκανδιδᾶτος), Latinized as Latin: spatharocandidatus, was a mid-ranking Byzantine court dignity used in the 7th–11th centuries.
The title was created as a portmanteau of the titles and, both of which were types of palace guards in the 4th–6th centuries.[1] The earliest references to the title occur in the History of Sebeos and in a letter by Pope Gregory II to Emperor Leo III the Isaurian . John B. Bury accepted a creation in the early 7th century, but the title is clearly attested only from the early 9th century on.[1] In the 9th-century lists of precedence (Taktika), the dignity ranks below that of and above that of among the dignities intended for 'bearded men' (i.e. non-eunuchs). Its distinctive insigne was a golden chain worn around the chest.[1]
The dignity was not given to eunuchs, for whom the corresponding dignity was that of . Judging from sigillographic evidence, the dignity was associated mostly with mid-level ranks, such as and lower judges.[1] In the lists of offices known as the Taktika, the dignity corresponds to specific positions in the lower tier of the senior civil and military hierarchy, such as those of (senior secretary), (commander of a frontier district), (deputy commander) of a, or (divisional commander) of a . The last attested mention of the title is in 1094, and it was dropped from use at the latest in the 12th century.[1]
The title is rarely encountered in popular culture, but in Season 3, Episode 3 of the historical drama series, the characters representing the Byzantine general George Maniakes and the Viking Harald Sigurdsson (Harald Hardrada) are depicted receiving it as reward for a victory in Sicily. Harald is played by Leo Suter, and Maniakes is played by Florian Munteanu.[2]