The ( gr, ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης, , the one in charge of the table) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

court post, responsible for the imperial banquets.

History

The office, more fully known as the (, '

Domestic Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes c ...

of the imperial table'), () or (, 'the one in charge of the lord's table'), is first mentioned as extant in the mid-7th century, but the source, a hagiography of

Maximus the Confessor Maximus the Confessor ( el, Μάξιμος ὁ Ὁμολογητής), also spelt Maximos, otherwise known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople ( – 13 August 662), was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. In his ear ...

, is of much later date. It is, however, amply attested in seals from the 8th century on, often holding the offices of or as well.. The was responsible for introducing guests to the imperial banquets, waiting to the Byzantine emperor along with the , and carrying dishes from the imperial table to the guests. Historical sources, however, show that some holders of the post were entrusted with leading troops or various other special assignments. Like many palace posts involving close access to the Byzantine emperor, it was restricted to eunuchs. There was also the (, 'in charge of the table of the '), who filled the same duties for the Byzantine empress, and in addition supervised her private

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore and aft. Sometimes, the mizzen is only partly fore-and-aft rigged, b ...

s. The was assisted by a staff, the so-called (), headed by the () and including also secretaries styled (). The German scholar Werner Seibt proposed that the ''epi tes trapezes'' absorbed the main functions of the , an earlier official with an apparently similar role. Another official with similar duties, the , is attested only a couple of times during the first decades of the 9th century. Seibt considers him either a subaltern official to the or an intermediate stage between the and the final absorption of his duties into the .. From the 13th century on, the and the variant became purely honorary court titles, bereft of any specific duties. In this vein,

Nikephoros Gregoras Nicephorus Gregoras (; Greek: , ''Nikephoros Gregoras''; c. 1295 – 1360) was a Greek astronomer, historian, and theologian. Life Gregoras was born at Heraclea Pontica, where he was raised and educated by his uncle, John, who was the Bisho ...

reports that this dignity was allegedly conferred and made hereditary to the princes of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

from the time of Emperor

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

() on.

References

Sources

* * {{Byzantine offices after pseudo-Kodinos Byzantine court titles Byzantine palace offices Byzantine titles and offices reserved for eunuchs Ceremonial occupations