TheLatin termprimicerius,Hellenized asprimikērios (Greek:πριμικήριος), was a title applied in thelater Roman Empire and theByzantine Empire to the heads of administrative departments, and also used by the Church to denote the heads of various colleges.
Etymologically the term derives fromprimus in cera, which is to sayin tabula cerata, the first name in a list of a class of officials, which was usually inscribed on a waxed tablet.[1]
From their origin in the court of theDominate, there were severalprimicerii (primikērioi in Greek, from the 12th century usually spelledprimmikērioi). In the court, there was theprimicerius sacri cubiculi (in Byzantine times theprimikērios of thekouboukleion), in charge of the emperor's bedchamber, almost always a eunuch. The title was also given to court officials in combination with other offices connected to the imperial person, such as the special treasury (eidikon) or the imperial wardrobe (vestiarion). Otherprimicerii headed some of thescrinia (departments) of the palace, chiefly thenotarii orprimicerius notariorum (notarioi ortaboularioi in Byzantine sources).[2]
In theLate Roman army, theprimicerius was a rank junior to thetribunus and senior to thesenator.[1] They are best attested in units associated with the imperial court, chiefly imperial guards. Thus in the 4th to 6th centuries there were theprimicerii of theprotectores domestici and of theScholae Palatinae, but alsoprimicerii in charge of the armament factories (fabricae), which, like theScholae, where under the jurisdiction of themagister officiorum.[1][2]Primicerii are also to be found in the staffs of regional military commanders (duces), as well as in some regular military units.[1] In the later Byzantine era, under theKomnenian emperors,primikērioi appear as commanders in thepalace regiments of theManglabitai,Vardariōtai,Vestiaritai and theVarangians.[2]
In the late 11th century, the dignity ofmegas prim[m]ikērios ("Grand Primicerius") was established, which ranked very high in court hierarchy well into thePalaiologan period, where he functioned as a chief of ceremonies.Prim[m]ikērioi continue to be in evidence in the Byzantine Empire and theDespotate of Morea until their fall to theOttomans.[2]
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Inecclesiastical use the term was given to heads of the colleges ofNotarii andDefensores, which occupied an important place in the administration of theRoman Church inLate Antiquity and in theEarly Middle Ages.
When young clerics were assembled in schools for training in the ecclesiastical service in the different districts of theWestern Church (from the fifth or sixth century), the directors of these schools were also given this title. Thus, an inscription of the year 551 from Lyon mentions a"Stephanus primicerius scolae lectorum servientium in ecclesia Lugdunensi".Isidore of Seville treats of the obligations of the primicerius of the lower clerics in his "Epistola ad Ludefredum". From this position the primicerius also derived certain powers in the direction of liturgical functions.
In the regulation of the common life of the clergy in collegiate and cathedral churches, according to the Rule ofChrodegang and the statutes ofAmalarius of Metz, the primicerius appears as the first capitular after thearchdeacon andarchpresbyter, controlling the lower clerics and directing the liturgical functions and chant. The primicerius thus became a special dignitary of many chapters by a gradual development from the position of the old primicerius of thescola cantorum orlectorum.
In theEastern Orthodox Church, the title was used for the heads of the colleges of thenotarioi andtaboularioi in the Church bureaucracy, but also for the chief lectors, cantors, etc. of a church.[2]
In modern usage of theRussian Orthodox Church, the word primicerius (primikirii) is reserved for a junior cleric (sometimes areader orsubdeacon) holding a torch or a candle before an officiating bishop during the divine service; usually he goes ahead in different pontifical processions, which may be an explanation for the choice of this word (the second part of which in this case corresponds not to "wax (of a tablet)" but to "candle wax").
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Primicerius".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.