Prōtospatharios (Greek:πρωτοσπαθάριος) was one of the highestcourt dignities of the middleByzantine period (8th to 12th centuries), awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.^[1]

The meaning of the title, "firstspatharios", indicates its original role as leader of the order (taxis) of thespatharioi, the imperial bodyguards, was already attested in the 6th century. Probably under theHeraclians, the rank became an honorary dignity (Greek: δια βραβείου ἀξία,dia brabeiou axia), and was henceforth bestowed to high-rankingtheme commanders, senior court officials, and allied rulers.^[2][3] The first concrete reference to aprōtospatharios occurs in theChronicle ofTheophanes the Confessor, who records "Sergios,prōtospatharios andstratēgos ofSicily" in 718.^[2] In the late 9th century, theprōtospatharios is recorded as ranking below thepatrikios and above thedishypatos.^[4] The award of the dignity also meant the entry of its holder in theByzantine Senate. Its prestige was consequently very high, as illustrated by a well-known story related by EmperorConstantine Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959) in hisDe Administrando Imperio: during the reign of his father, EmperorLeo VI the Wise (r. 886–912), an aged cleric of theNea Ekklesia, Ktenas by name, paid 60litras of gold (circa 19.4 kg),^[5] i.e. sixty times the annual stipend of 72nomismata to whichprōtospatharioi were entitled, to acquire the title. He did not live long to enjoy his new status, however, dying two years later.^[3][6] Like other titles of the middle Byzantine period, its importance declined sharply in the 11th century. The last attested occurrence is in 1115,^[3] although the title is still recorded bypseudo-Kodinos in the mid-14th century in the 34th place of the court hierarchy, between theprimmikerios of the court and themegasarchōn.^[7]

According to theKlētorologion of Philotheos, the holders of the dignity were distinguished between eunuchs (ektomiai) and non-eunuchs (barbatoi, "bearded ones"). In addition to the insigne of their rank, a gold necklet (maniakion) adorned with pearls, the former had a special dress, a white, gold-adornedtunic and a reddoublet with gold facings. The non-eunuchs were distinguished only by their golden collar (kloios), decorated with precious stones.^[8] Pictorial evidence of the dress ofprōtospatharioi inilluminated manuscripts, however, varies considerably over time.^[3] In theBook of Offices of pseudo-Kodinos, the garb of this rank is defined as a gold wire-embroideredskaranikon (a tubular headdress), with the image of the reigning emperor enthroned in front and riding a horse behind, a goldkabbadion (caftan) and askiadion (brimmed hat) of theklapōton type,^[9] while bearing no distinctivedikanikion (staff of office).^[7]

In theEmpire of Trebizond, an equivalent title ofTurkish origin,amytzantarios, was used.^[10]

Aside from being a court rank, there were severalprōtospatharioi who had specific duties:

• Theprōtospatharios in charge of theChrysotriklinos (πρωτοσπαθάριος τοῦ Χρυσοτρικλίνου), the main reception hall of theGreat Palace.^[11]
• Theprōtospatharios in charge of theLausiakos (πρωτοσπαθάριος τοῦ Λαυσιακοῦ), one of the main halls adjacent to theChrysotriklinos, serving as a meeting hall. The personnel (oikeiakoi) of theLausiakos most likely also had functions related to the preparation of imperial banquets.^[3][12]
• Theprōtospatharios, orkatepanō, of thebasilikoi anthrōpoi (πρωτοσπαθάριος/κατεπάνω τῶν βασιλικῶν), a corps of low-level imperial servants, including foreigners. He is listed as one of thestratarchai, thereby denoting an unspecified military role. His subordinate staff included lower-ranking officials (those ofspatharioi andkandidatoi rank), with adomestikos as chief aide.^[13][14]

• Theprōtospatharios tēs Phialēs (πρωτοσπαθάριος τῆς Φιάλης), an official acting asjudge for the oarsmen of theByzantine navy stationed around the capital, Constantinople. Like the exact functions of the office, the termphialē ("water-basin") is obscure; it could possibly refer to a location in the harbour of the imperial palace ofBoukoleon.^[3]

• Ivan the Russian
• Mihailo I Vojislavljević ofDuklja

• Bury, J. B. (1911).The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century – With a Revised Text of the Kletorologion of Philotheos. London: Oxford University Press.OCLC 1046639111.
• Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991).The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
• Neville, Leonora Alice (2004).Authority in Byzantine Provincial Society, 950-1100. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-83865-8.
• Verpeaux, Jean, ed. (1966).Pseudo-Kodinos, Traité des Offices (in French). Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

• Byzantine court titles
• Protospatharioi

• Articles containing Latin-language text
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Greek-language text
• Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text
• CS1 French-language sources (fr)