Praepositus sacri cubiculi

The ''praepositus sacri cubiculi'' (Latin: "provost of the sacred bedchamber", in gr, πραιπόσιτος τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου κοιτῶνος, praipositos tou eusebestatou koitōnos) was one of the senior palace offices in the Late Roman Empire. Its holder was usually a eunuch, and acted as the grand chamberlain of the palace, wielding considerable authority and influence. In the 7th or 8th century, the title was also given to an order of rank for eunuch palace servants. The title and office continued in use in the simplified form of ''praipositos'' (πραιπόσιτος) in the Byzantine Empire until the late 11th century.

History and evolution

The first securely identifiable holder of the office was Eusebius under Emperor Constantius II (), but the position may have been introduced already under Constantine the Great (), in replacement of the older ''a cubiculo''. He controlled the corps of the '' cubicularii'' (κουβικουλάριοι, ), also eunuchs, and was responsible for the imperial bedchamber, wardrobe and receptions.

Originally under the control of the ''castrensis sacri palatii'', he soon became directly subordinated to the Byzantine emperor. His proximity to the Byzantine emperor gave him great power, and several ''praepositi'' wielded considerable influence in the governance of the Byzantine Empire. In the ''Notitia Dignitatum'', the ''praepositus'' is listed immediately after the praetorian prefects, the urban prefect and the '' magistri militum''. However, due to the loss of the relevant pages of the ''Notitia'', we do not know the structure of his '' officium''. Senior assistants were the ''primicerius sacri cubiculi'' and the ''comes sacrae vestis''.

During the 4th-5th centuries, the ''praepositus'' gained in power: in the late 4th century, he gained control over the imperial estates of Cappadocia (the ''domus divina per Cappadociam'' of the ''Notitia''), and was elevated in rank to '' vir illustris'' and the equivalent of ''quaestor''. A separate ''praepositus'' was also established for the household of the Byzantine empress (''praepositus Augustae''), with a similar structure of subordinate officials. In the Western Roman Empire, the post continued in existence until its fall, and was also used in the court of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric the Great, where it was held by a Goth, Triwila. In the mid-6th century, however, the supervision of the Cappadocian estates was entrusted to a separate official in charge of the imperial patrimony, and its authority declined.

In the 7th-8th centuries, paralleling changes in many other administrative offices, the position of ''praepositus'', or ''praipositos'' in Greek, was much reduced in power, as parts of his ''officium'' were split off. The ''cubicularii'' of the bedchamber (distinguished as , in Greek) were separated under the '' parakoimōmenos'', while the imperial wardrobe ( la, vestiarium, gr, �ασιλικὸνβεστιάριον, ) under its head, the '' prōtovestiarios'', was also made into a separate department. The ''praipositos'' continued to supervise the remainder of the ''koubikoularioi'', with the '' primikērios tou kouboukleiou'' as his chief aide. He retained a considerable role in court ceremonies, and ranked in the higher class of the '' patrikioi''. According to Constantine VII (), the ''praipositos'', together with the '' prōtomagistros'' and the eparch of Constantinople used to form a regency in the emperor's absence.

The continuing actual office of ''praipositos'', however, is not to be confused with the dignity (, ) of the same name, which was a court rank created in the 7th or 8th century and restricted to eunuchs. According to Philotheos's '' Klētorologion'' of 899, it ranked below the dignity of ''patrikios'' and above that of '' prōtospatharios'', and the insignia (''brabeion'') of the office were ivory tablets. The title is last attested in 1087.

Notable ''praepositi''

*Eusebius (337–361)
*Eutherius (356–360)
* Eutropius (East, circa 395–399).
*Deuterius (West, 408)
*Terentius (West, 408–409)
*Eusebius (West, 409)
*Lausus (East, 420)
*Chrysaphius (East, 443–450)
*Lauricius (West, 443–444)
*Faustus ( Anicius Acilius Aginantius Faustus?) (Ostrogothic Italy, under Theoderic)
*Triwila (Ostrogothic Italy, early 520s)
* Urbicius (East, 470–481 and 491).
* Amantius (East, 518).
*Narses (East, 537/538–554 or 558/559).

References

Sources

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*{{ODB, last=Kazhdan, first=Alexander, authorlink=Alexander Kazhdan, title=Praepositus sacri cubiculi, page=1709

Ancient Roman titles
Byzantine palace offices
Byzantine titles and offices reserved for eunuchs