Logothete (Greek:λογοθέτης,logothétēs, pl. λογοθέται,logothétai; Med.Latin:logotheta, pl.logothetae;Bulgarian:логотет;Italian:logoteta;Romanian:logofăt;Serbian:логотет,logotet) was an administrative title originating in the easternRoman Empire. In the middle and lateByzantine Empire, it rose to become a senioradministrative title, equivalent to aminister orsecretary of state. The title spread to other states influenced by Byzantine culture, such asBulgaria,Sicily,Serbia, and theDanubian Principalities.

InGreek,logothetēs means "one who accounts, calculates or ratiocinates", literally "one who sets the word". The exact origin of the title is unclear; it is found inpapyri and works of theChurch Fathers denoting a variety of junior officials, mostly charged with fiscal duties.^[1] The ancestors of the middle Byzantine logothetes were the fiscal officials known asrationales duringLate Antiquity. The office dates back to at least the time of EmperorSeptimius Severus (r. 193–211), where aprocurator a rationibus is attested. In late Roman times, therationales were officials attached to thepraetorian prefectures and charged with supervising the state treasury and the emperor's private domains.^[2] The first notable official titled as a logothete wasMarinus, the future praetorian prefect and chief minister of EmperorAnastasius I (r. 491–518).[3] In the 6th century, under EmperorJustinian I (r. 527–565), the logothetes gained in prominence and power, as they were placed in charge of the emperor's revenue-gathering measures and dispatched as fiscal agents to the provinces or accompanied military expeditions. They were allowed to keep a twelfth of the sums they would gather for the treasury, and some, such as the notoriousAlexander "Scissors", amassed considerable fortunes in this way.^[4][5][6]

The major transformation of the office came in the early 7th century: during theHeraclian dynasty, the administrative machinery of the state, inherited from the time ofDiocletian andConstantine the Great, was thoroughly reformed. Thus the three chief financial "departments" of the old system, the Praetorian Prefecture, theSacred Largesses (sacrae largitiones) and thePrivate Domains (res privata) were replaced by smaller specialized departments titledlogothesia (sing.logothesion) orsekreta (sing.sekreton).^[7][8] This process was the result of severe territorial loss and the need to rationalize revenue collection during the finalByzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 and theearly Muslim conquests, but had already been presaged by Emperor Justinian's reforms in the 6th century, when theres privata, responsible for the managing of imperial estates, had been divided by kind into five separate departments.^[9] By the mid-7th century, thesacrae largitiones too disappeared altogether, while its various sections, as those of the praetorian prefecture, were separated and set up as autonomous departments, some of them headed by a logothete. These were under the supervision of thesakellarios, who functioned as a "generalcomptroller of finances", and ultimately of the emperor himself.^[1][9][10]

The first mention of a logothete in a senior position was the "most glorious logothete andpatrician" Theodosios in 626, possibly either in charge of thegenikon or thestratiōtikon.^[11][12][13] Although the first concrete evidence for the existence of many of the subsequent offices is often of a much later date, the chief departments, thegenikon, the(e)idikon, thestratiōtikon and thedromos were in place by the late 7th century.^[12] There were also logothetes in the church, assisting the patriarch and themetropolitan bishops, while alogothetēs tou praitoriou was a senior official under theEparch of Constantinople.^[1]

Under EmperorAlexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118), the logothete of the bureaux (logothetēs tōn sekretōn) was instituted, who supervised all state departments, evolving eventually into the Grand Logothete (megas logothetēs) of the late Byzantine Empire.[1]^[14] By thePalaiologan period, the various logothetes had vanished or were converted into purely honorary titles.

• Thelogothetēs tou dromou (λογοθέτης τοῦ δρόμου), in English usually rendered as Logothete of the Course/Drome/Dromos or Postal Logothete, responsible for the imperial post, diplomacy and intelligence. In the 10th–11th centuries, its holder often functioned as the Byzantine Empire's chief minister.^[15][16]
• Thelogothetēs tou genikou (λογοθέτης τοῦ γενικοῦ), often calledgenikos logothetēs or simplyho genikos (ὁ γενικός), and usually rendered in English as the General Logothete. He was in charge of the "general financial ministry", thegenikon logothesion, responsible for generaltaxation andrevenue.^[17]
• Thelogothetēs tou stratiōtikou (λογοθέτης τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ), the Logothete of the Military [Fisc], was in charge of the pay and provisioning of theByzantine army, although his exact duties are somewhat obscure.^[18][19]
• Thelogothetēs tōn agelōn (λογοθέτης τῶν ἀγελῶν), in English the Logothete of the Herds, was responsible for the state-run estates (mētata) in westernAsia Minor that rearedhorses andmules for the army and the imperial Public Post.^[20][21]
• Theepi tou eidikou or simply theeidikos ("the one responsible for the Special Affairs Department"): responsible for the(e)idikon logothesion, which supervised the imperial treasury,factories, storehouses, and monopolies. According to some scholars, an evolution of the Romancomes rerum privatarum.^[22]
• Thelogothetēs tou praitōriou (λογοθέτης τοῦ πραιτωρίου) or Logothete of the Praetorium, one of the two principal aides of the Eparch of Constantinople, probably charged with judicial and policing duties.^[1][23]
• Thelogothetēs tōn hydatōn (λογοθέτης τῶν ὑδάτων), the "logothete of the waters", an obscure official who is mentioned only once. Possibly to be identified with thekomēs hydatōn ("Count of the Waters"), an official in charge of theaqueducts.^[24]
• Thelogothetēs tōn oikeiakōn (λογοθέτης τῶν οἰκιακῶν), in charge of theoikeiakoi ("of the household") class of palace officials, and carrying out a variety of fiscal and judicial duties.^[25]
• Themegas logothetēs (μέγας λογοθέτης) or "Grand Logothete", originally established as thelogothetēs tōn sekretōn (λογοθέτης τῶν σεκρέτων) by Alexios I Komnenos to supervise and coordinate the other government departments (sekreta).^[1]

The titlelogotet (Serbian Cyrillic:логотет) was used inSerbia in the Middle Ages since the rule of KingStefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321). Notable title-holders includeRajko,Joanikije,Pribac,Gojko,Voihna,Pahomije andStefan Ratković.

Holy Roman EmperorOtto III (r. 996–1002), the son of the Byzantine princessTheophanu, bestowed it on his chancellor,Leo of Vercelli (999–1026). In the end, it only became firmly established inSicily, where the logothete occupied the position of chancellor elsewhere, his office being equal if not superior to that of theMagnus Cancellarius. Thus, the title was borne for example byPietro della Vigna, the all-powerful minister of Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II (r. 1220–1250), king of Sicily.

The title was also borrowed in the internal organization of the medieval Romanian countries,Moldavia andWallachia. In Moldavia, the Great Logothete (mare logofăt) was the chief minister of the prince and head of the chancellery, while in Wallachia, he was the second-most senior member of the prince's council, after theban.^[26]

Several other officials were also called logothetes:^[26]

• Second Logothete (logofăt al doilea), deputy of the Great Logothete.
• Third Logothete (logofăt al treilea), secretary of the Great Logothete.
• Logothete of the Treasury (logofăt de vistierie).
• Logothete of the Chamber (logofăt de cămară).
• Logothete of the Ceremonies (logofăt de obiceiuri)
• Logothete of the Secrets (logofăt de taină) or Royal Logothete (Logofăt domnesc), private secretary of the prince.

FormerU.S. PresidentTheodore Roosevelt accused then-PresidentWoodrow Wilson of being a "Byzantine logothete." The epithet insinuated that, like pencil-pushing Byzantine logothetes, or administrators, Wilson was dillydallying by not declaring America's participation inWorld War I.^[27]

• Byzantine bureaucracy and aristocracy
• Chancellor
• Lord Chancellor
• Vestiarion

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• Evans, James Allan Stewart (1996).The Age of Justinian: The Circumstances of Imperial Power. New York: Routledge.ISBN 0-415-02209-6.
• Guilland, Rodolphe (1971)."Les Logothètes: Etudes sur l'histoire administrative de l'Empire byzantin" [The Logothetes: Studies on the Administrative History of the Byzantine Empire].Revue des études byzantines (in French).29:5–115.doi:10.3406/rebyz.1971.1441.
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• Haldon, John (1999).Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World, 565–1204. London: UCL Press.ISBN 1-85728-495-X.
• Haldon, John F. (2009). "The State - 1. Structures and Administration". InJeffreys, Elizabeth; Haldon, John; Cormack, Robin (eds.).The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-925246-6.
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• Laiou, Angeliki E., ed. (2002).The Economic History of Byzantium from the Seventh through the Fifteenth Century. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks.ISBN 0-88402-288-9. Archived fromthe original on 2011-01-01.
• Magdalino, Paul (2002) [1993].The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143–1180. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0-521-52653-1.
• Treadgold, Warren (1997).A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford, California:Stanford University Press.ISBN 0-8047-2630-2.