The title of ''protosebastos'' ( el, πρωτοσέβαστος, ''prōtosébastos'', "first ''

sebastos ( grc-gre, σεβαστός, sebastós, venerable one, Augustus, ; plural , ) was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of . The female form of the title was (). It was revived as an honorific in the 11th-ce ...

''") was a high

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 title created by Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

History

Although the title first appears in a document of 1049, where

Domenico I Contarini Domenico Contarini (Birthdate unknown, died 1071 in Venice) was the 30th Doge of Venice. His reign lasted from his election in 1043 following the death of Domenico Flabanico until his own death in 1071. During his reign, the Venetians recapture ...

, the

Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 ...

, uses it alongside the title of '' patrikios'' to refer to himself, it is commonly accepted that it was created by Emperor

(). It was first conferred to his brother Adrianos, while another early holder, his brother-in-law Michael Taronites, was soon after raised to the even higher title of '' panhypersebastos''. It was also conferred on

Sergius VI of Naples Sergius VI (died 1107) was the ''magister militum'' and duke of Naples from 1077 to his death. He was the son of the Neapolitan senator John, and succeeded his uncle, John's elder brother, Sergius V. His sister Inmilgia married Duke Landulf of Gaet ...

and his son, John VI, at about the same time. Later, during the 12th century, it was given to close relatives of the Byzantine emperor, such as the eldest son of a '' sebastokratōr''. In the

Palaiologan period The Byzantine Empire was ruled by the Palaiologos dynasty in the period between 1261 and 1453, from the restoration of Byzantine rule to Constantinople by the usurper Michael VIII Palaiologos following its recapture from the Latin Empire, founde ...

it was conferred to leading aristocratic families, such as the Tarchaneiotai, the Raoul, etc. The ''Book on Offices'' by

Pseudo-Kodinos George Kodinos or Codinus ( el, Γεώργιος Κωδινός), also Pseudo-Kodinos, ''kouropalates'' in the Byzantine court, is the reputed 14th-century author of three extant works in late Byzantine literature. Their attribution to him is mere ...

, written shortly after the middle of the 14th century, places the ''prōtosebastos'' in the thirteenth place in the overall hierarchy after the emperor, between the '' megas logothetēs'' and the '' pinkernēs''. His ceremonial costume comprised a golden-green ''skiadion'' hat with silk embroideries, or a domed ''skaranikon'' in a reddish apricot colour decorated with gold-wire embroidery, with a painted glass depiction of the emperor standing in front, and enthroned in the rear. A rich silk '' kabbadion'' tunic was also worn.

Notable holders

Adrianos Komnenos Adrianos Komnenos ( el, )The first name is often Anglicized as Adrian, and the family name is frequently Latinized as Comnenus. was a Byzantine aristocrat and general, and a younger brother of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (). Bio ...

, brother of Alexios I Komnenos *

Alexios Branas Alexios (or Alexius) Branas or Vranas ( el, ) (died 1187) was a Byzantine nobleman, attempted usurper, and the last Byzantine military leader of the 12th century to gain a notable success against a foreign enemy. Background Alexios Branas was a ...

, general * Alexios Komnenos, nephew of Manuel I Komnenos, ''de facto'' regent in 1180–82 *

Constantine Bodin Constantine Bodin ( Bulgarian and sr, italic=no, Константин Бодин, ''Konstantin Bodin''; 1072–1101) was a medieval king and the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from 1081 to 1101, succee ...

, ruler of

Duklja Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana Riv ...

in 1081–1101 *

George Mouzalon George Mouzalon ( el, Γεώργιος Μουζάλων, Geōrgios Mouzalōn; – 25 August 1258) was a high official of the Empire of Nicaea under Theodore II Laskaris (). Of humble origin, he became Theodore's companion in childhood and was ...

, friend and chief minister of Theodore II Laskaris *

Hrelja Hrelja also known as Protosebastos Hrelija ( sr, Хреља; bg, Хрельо, ''Hrelyo''), also known as Stefan Dragovol (Стефан Драговол) or Hrelja Ohmućević ( sr, Хреља Охмућевић) was a 14th-century semi-independe ...

, magnate of the

Serbian Empire The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state. Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...

* John Komnenos, nephew of Alexios I Komnenos and governor of Dyrrhachium *

Michael Panaretos Michael Panaretos ( el, ) (c. 1320 – c. 1390) was an official of the Trapezuntine empire and a Greek historian. His sole surviving work is a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors. This chronicle not only pr ...

, official and historian of the Empire of Trebizond *

Philaretos Brachamios Philaretos Brachamios ( el, Φιλάρετος Βραχάμιος; Armenian: Փիլարտոս Վարաժնունի, Pilartos Varajnuni; la, Philaretus Brachamius) or Vahram Varajnuni was a distinguished Byzantine general and warlord of Armenia ...

, general *

Theodore Branas Theodore Branas or Vranas ( el, , ''Theodōros Branas''), sometimes called Theodore Komnenos Branas, was a general under the Byzantine Empire and afterwards under the Latin Empire of Constantinople. Under the Latin regime he was given the title Ca ...

, general and husband of the twice empress Agnes of France

References

Sources

* * * * * {{Byzantine offices after pseudo-Kodinos Byzantine court titles