TheKlētorologion of Philotheos (Greek:Κλητορολόγιον) is the longest and most important of theByzantine lists of offices and court precedence (Taktika).[1] It was published in September 899 during the reign of EmperorLeo VI the Wise (r. 886–912) by the otherwise unknownprōtospatharios andatriklinēs Philotheos. Asatriklinēs, Philotheos would have been responsible for receiving the guests for the imperial banquets (klētοria) and for conducting them to their proper seating places according to their place in theimperial hierarchy.[2] In the preface to his work, he explicitly states that he compiled this treatise as a "precise exposé of the order of imperial banquets, of the name and value of each title, complied on the basis of ancientklētοrologia", and recommends its adoption at the imperial table.[1][3]
Philotheos's work survives only as anappendix within the last chapters (52–54) of the second book of a later treatise on imperial ceremonies known as theDe Ceremoniis of EmperorConstantine Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959).[4] It is divided into four sections:
- Section I is the introductory, and gives a brief overview of all the court ranks and state offices of theByzantine Empire, which it divides into five categories: orders of rank for "bearded men" (i.e. non-eunuchs), great offices of the state, minor offices of the various bureaus and ministries, orders of rank for eunuchs, and great offices of the state reserved for eunuchs.[5]
- Sections II and III give the order in which officials should be introduced to the imperial banquets. Section II gives the highest dignitaries, those who could be seated at the Byzantine emperor's own table, while Section III deals with middle-ranking and lower-ranking officials, as well as with the embassies from the otherpatriarchates (Rome,Antioch andJerusalem) and foreign embassies (Arabs,Bulgars andGermans).[3][6]
- Section IV is the longest portion of the text, and is addressed to the courtatriklinēs giving advice on arranging the various banquets throughout the year, beginning with the celebrations forChristmas. It also contains two attached memoranda, one on the largesses doled out by the Byzantine emperor to officials on certain occasions, and the other on the salaries of theatriklinai officials.[3][6]
- A short appendix follows (chapter 54 of theDe Ceremoniis) with the various ecclesiastic officials and their precedence, as well as theNotitia Episcopatuum of pseudo-Epiphanius, a list ofepiscopal sees.[3]
