The (λογοθέτης τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ), rendered in English as the Logothete of the Military or Military Logothete, was a Byzantine imperial official in charge of the pay and provisioning of the Byzantine army. The office appears in the late 7th century and is mentioned until the 14th century.
This duty was originally exercised by the praetorian prefecture, but the military chest (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: το στρατιωτικόν,) was eventually detached and formed as a separate (department). The first attested was Julian, the "most glorious and " in 680.[1]
The exact sphere of duties of the Military Logothete is somewhat obscure. The only direct evidence as to his functions comes from the De Ceremoniis of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos, according to which he oversaw the imposition and exemption from taxes on the households of soldiers. It is also known that by the 11th century, he exercised some juridical functions.[1] Several scholars (notably Ernst Stein) have argued that the Military Logothete supervised military affairs in general, such as the levying of troops, the construction of fortifications and the overall military expenditure. This hypothesis, however, cannot be proved.[1]
The subordinates of the were:
| Name | Tenure | Appointed by | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian | Constantine IV | and, only known as an attendant of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. | ||
| Eustathios | probably 7th century | unknown | Known only from his lead seal of office. | |
| John | Irene of Athens | A eunuch servant of Irene, he is mentioned as attending the Second Council of Nicaea, with the rank of imperial and the office of " of the military ". By he was also, and led an expedition to Italy in support of the former King of the Lombards Adelchis, who intended to recover his realm from Charlemagne. The expedition was defeated by the Franks, and John was captured and killed. | ||
| John | 8th/9th century | unknown | Known only from his lead seal of office. | |
| George | Theophilos | under Theophilos. | ||
| Marinos | Basil I the Macedonian | and a senator, only known as an attendant of the Council of Constantinople in 869. | ||
| Theodore Daphnopates | before 959 | Romanos II | The Theodore Daphnopates, a "former " (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἀπὸ στρατιωτικῶν), was promoted by Romanos II to Eparch of Constantinople. | |
| Nicholas | mid-11th century | unknown | Michael Psellos provided a funeral oration for him. | |
| Michael VI Bringas | until 1056 | Theodora | A career army administrator of advanced years, Michael was raised by the palace eunuchs to the throne upon the death of Empress Theodora in 1056, and reigned until deposed in 1057. | |
| Paul | unknown | unknown | Known only from his lead seals of office as,, judge of the Hippodrome, and . | |
| Michael | 11th/12th century | unknown | Known only from his lead seals of office as,, and, and . | |
| Theodosios | 12th century | unknown | Known only from his lead seals of office as, and . | |
| Hyaleas (?) | Andronikos II Palaiologos | An inscription from 1316 mentions the,, and of Thessalonica "Hyalsou", in all likelihood a misspelling of the genitive "Hyaleou". Guilland suggests a possible identity with the Alexios Hyaleas. | ||
| Meliteniotes | Andronikos II Palaiologos | Mentioned in a legal document at Constantinople in 1325. | ||
| Theodore Kabasilas | Andronikos II Palaiologos | A and former . Eulogized by John Kantakouzenos as a man held in high esteem by both Andronikos II and Andronikos III, he tried to mediate between the two during the Byzantine civil war of 1321–1328. | ||
Rodolphe Guilland also lists some 6th-century officials, who served under Justinian I and were in charge of the army pay chest, as predecessors of the later office of : Alexander "Scissors", active in Greece and Italy in ; the and former praetorian prefect Archelaus, who accompanied Belisarius as his quartermaster in the Vandalic War; and the senator Symmachus, who was sent to Africa as praetorian prefect and quartermaster for Germanus in 536–539.