Logothetes ton agelon
Encyclopedia
The logothetēs tōn agelōn , in English the Logothete
of the Herds, was the Byzantine
official responsible for the state-run estates (mētata) in western Asia Minor
that reared horses and mules for the Byzantine army
and the imperial Public Post
.
of Philotheos, highlighting the office's close connection with the army. The importance of the office increased from the 10th century, reaching its zenith in the late 13th century, when it was held by several of the most important state officials.
Sigillographic evidence also attests to the existence of chartoularioi and of an ek prosōpou ("representative") of the department.
Logothete
Logothete was an administrative title originating in the eastern Roman Empire. In the middle and late Byzantine Empire, it rose to become a senior administrative title, equivalent to a minister or secretary of state...
of the Herds, was the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
official responsible for the state-run estates (mētata) in western Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
that reared horses and mules for the Byzantine army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
and the imperial Public Post
Cursus publicus
The cursus publicus was the state-run courier and transportation service of the Roman Empire, later inherited by the Byzantine Empire. It was created by Emperor Augustus to transport messages, officials, and tax revenues from one province to another...
.
History and functions
His office is commonly accepted to be the evolution of the Roman praepositus gregum, who was subordinate to the comes res privatae. Uniquely among the logothetes, the logothetēs tōn agelōn is listed among the military officials (stratarchai) in the 899 KlētotologionKletorologion
The Klētorologion of Philotheos , is the longest and most important of the Byzantine lists of offices and court precedence . It was published in September of 899 during the reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise by the otherwise unknown prōtospatharios and atriklinēs Philotheos...
of Philotheos, highlighting the office's close connection with the army. The importance of the office increased from the 10th century, reaching its zenith in the late 13th century, when it was held by several of the most important state officials.
Subordinate officials
The subordinates of the logothetēs tōn agelōn were:- the prōtonotarioi for Asia and PhrygiaPhrygiaIn antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
, where the mētata were apparently concentrated. - the dioikētai of the mētata , the administrators of the horse farms and successors to the Roman procuratores saltuum.
- episkeptētai ("inspectors") and komētes ("counts"), the latter of unclear function.
Sigillographic evidence also attests to the existence of chartoularioi and of an ek prosōpou ("representative") of the department.