Logothète of Drome

In the Byzantine terminology , the function of Logothète indicates at the beginning a responsibility of a financial nature . The load of logothetes tou dromou' or “ Logothète of the Race ” or “ Logothète of Drome ” drift of that of Curiosus course publici praesentalis , which depended on the office of the Master of the Offices.

This Curiosus course publici praesentalis ordered with the agents ( curiosi ) in load of the monitoring of the roads borrowed by the imperial Poste . When the disproportionate capacities of the Master of the Offices were distributed at the 8th century (administrative reform) between various offices, the Curiosus course publici praesentalis took the name of Logothète of the Race and became the director of the post office itself. It was brought to deal in person as well with the sending of Ambassade S abroad as of the reception of the foreign embassies. As it supervised the recruitment of the in addition interprets S, it ends up fulfilling the diplomatic functions which were formerly the prerogative of the Master of the Offices.

Between the end of the 9th century and the beginning of the 10th century, the field of the responsibilities for Logothète of the Race is more clearly circumscribed, as attest it reliable sources such as Clétérologe of Philothée or the De Ceremoniis of Constantin VII Porphyrogénète. It was thus, in short, the chief of the imperial Post office; it ordered with the agents of the imperial diplomacy, gathered in the Scrinium Barbarorum or “Office of the Foreign affairs”, and organized their displacements; it occupied finally an eminent position in the ceremonial aulic, in particular at the time of the reception and the introduction of the foreign ambassadors.

One can inférer of these official functions a participation in fact in the development of the foreign Politics imperial. Logothète of the Race never acted as ambassador, contrary to the Master of the Offices. It however sometimes happened to him to extend its practice to the Internal security, even with the military command, if the fidelity of the general left something to be desired.

First Logothète mentioned by the sources, a certain Leon, was thus captured in 762 by the Bulgares that it fought. The capacities of the logothète of the drome could reach an extension such as certain chroniclers Arab S make its function the analog of that of Prime Minister. Ibn Hauqal, quoting Abu Ben Abdal-wahhab, places it, after the emperor, above the Prefect of the City and the Servant of Scholes. Quoting Al-Ahwazi, Al-Biruni places it, him, above the Parakimomène and the Servant of Scholes.

In the hierarchy peerage-book, Logothète of the drome generally occupied the row of Patrice or Magister. It seems that its preeminence on the others logothètes and, more largely, on the large officers of the Court lasted only until second half of the 9th century. It was returned to him partly at the 11th century when, in addition to its old attributions, he lives himself to entrust the supervision of the Sékrèta , the general administration of the Empire. For the 13th century, the Grand Logothète replaced Logothète of the Race and gathered the functions of Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

As a chief of the imperial Post office, Logothète of the Race had under its orders:

the diatrekhontes (mails),
the mandatores (mandateurs),
the cartularii (administrators),
the notarii (notaries)
and the episkeptètai (police inspectors of the roads).

It is made mention twice in the sources of Protonotaire of the Race which one is unaware of the exact function.

In the Ceremonial of reception and introduction of the foreign ambassadors into Large Triclinium of the Magnaure, Logothète of the Race holds its part among the first: the ambassador, carried by the catépan (Protospathaire) of the Basilikoi (“men of the basileus”) or the Count of the Cattle sheds, is led by the Chambellan; Logothète closes walk, in front of the remainder of legation.

See too

Institutions of the Byzantine Empire

Sources

Rene Guerdan, Byzance , Paris, Perrin, “History and Documents”, 1973;
Andre Guillou, Byzantine civilization , Paris, Arthaud, " Large Civilizations" , 1990;
D.A. Miller, “The Logothete off the Drome”, Byzantion , XXXVI (1966), fasc. 2.

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