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Kouropalates
''Kouropalatēs'', Latinized as ''curopalates'' or ''curopalata'' (, from " he one incharge of the palace"). and anglicized as curopalate, was a Byzantine court title, one of the highest from the time of Emperor Justinian I to the Komnenian period in the 12th century.. The female variant, held by the spouses of the ''kouropalatai'', was ''kouropalatissa''. History and nature of the title The title is first attested (as ''curapalati'') in the early 5th century, as an official of '' vir spectabilis'' rank under the ''castrensis palatii'', charged with the maintenance of the imperial palace (cf. Western European " majordomo"). When Emperor Justinian I () made his nephew and heir Justin II ''curopalates'' in 552, however, the office took on new significance, and became one of the most exalted dignities, ranking next to '' Caesar'' and '' nobilissimus'' and, like them, reserved initially for members of the imperial family. Unlike them, however, it later came to be granted to impo ...
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Byzantine Bureaucracy And Aristocracy
Throughout the fifth century, Hellenistic-Eastern political systems, philosophies, and theocratic Christian concepts had gained power in the Greek-speaking Eastern Mediterranean due to the intervention of important religious figures there such as Eusebius of Caesarea () and Origen of Alexandria () who had been key to developing the constant Christianized worldview of late antiquity. By the 6th century, such ideas had already influenced the definitive power of the monarch as the representative of God on earth and of his kingdom as an imitation of God's holy realm. The Byzantine Empire was a multi-ethnic monarchic theocracy adopting, following, and applying the Orthodox- Hellenistic political systems and philosophies. The monarch was the incarnation of the law'' nomos empsychos''and his power was immeasurable and divine in origin insofar as he channeled God's divine grace, maintaining what is good. He was the ultimate benefactor, caretaker, and saviour of the people: '' Ev ...
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Artabasdos
Artabasdos or Artavasdos ( or , from , , ), Latinized as Artabasdus, was a Byzantine general of Armenian descent who seized the throne from June 741 until November 743, in usurpation of the reign of Constantine V. Rise to power In about 713, Emperor Anastasius II appointed Artabasdos as governor ( ''stratēgos'') of the Armeniac Theme (Θέμα Άρμενιάκων, ''Thema Armeniakōn''), the successor of the Army of Armenia, which occupied the old areas of the Pontus, Armenia Minor, and northern Cappadocia, with its capital at Amasea. After Anastasius' fall, Artabasdos made an agreement with his colleague Leo, the governor of the Anatolic Theme, to overthrow the new Emperor Theodosius III. This agreement was sealed with the engagement of Leo's daughter Anna to Artabasdos, and the marriage took place after Leo III ascended the throne in March 717. Artabasdos was awarded the rank of '' kouropalates'' ("master of the palace") and became commander (count, ''komēs'') of t ...
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Protovestiarios
''Protovestiarios'' (, ) was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs. In the late Byzantine period (12th–15th centuries), it denoted the Empire's senior-most financial official, and was also adopted by the medieval Serbian state as protovestiyar (прото-вестијар). History and functions The title is first attested in 412, as the ''comes sacrae vestis'', an official in charge of the Byzantine emperor's "sacred wardrobe" (), coming under the '' praepositus sacri cubiculi''. In Greek, the term used was ''oikeiakon vestiarion'' (, "private wardrobe"), and by this name it remained known from the 7th century onward. As such, the office was distinct from the public or imperial wardrobe, the '' basilikon vestiarion'', which was entrusted to a state official, the ''chartoularios tou vestiariou''. The private wardrobe also included part of the Byzantine emperor's private treasury, and controlled an extensive staff. Consequently, the holders of this o ...
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Latinisation Of Names
Latinisation (or Latinization) of names, also known as onomastic Latinisation (or onomastic Latinization), is the practice of rendering a ''non''-Latin name in a Neo-Latin, modern Latin style. It is commonly found with historical proper names, including personal names and toponyms, and in the standard binomial nomenclature of the life sciences. It goes further than romanisation, which is the transliteration of a word to the Latin alphabet from another script (e.g. Cyrillic). For authors writing in Latin, this change allows the name to function grammatically in a sentence through declension. In a scientific context, the main purpose of Latinisation may be to produce a name which is internationally consistent. Latinisation may be carried out by: * transforming the name into Latin sounds (e.g. for ), or * adding Latinate suffixes to the end of a name (e.g. for ''Heinrich Meibom (doctor), Meibom),'' or * translating a name with a specific meaning into Latin (e.g. for Italian ; b ...
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Mantle (clothing)
__NOTOC__ A mantle (from old French ''mantel'', from ''mantellum'', the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... ''mantel'', from ''mantellum'', the Latin term for a cloak) is a type of loose garment usually worn over indoor clothing to serve the same purpose as an overcoat. Technically, the term describes a long, loose cape-like cloak worn from the 12th to the 16th century by both sexes, although by the 19th century, it was used to describe any loose-fitting, shaped outer garment similar to a cape. For example, the dolman, a 19th-century cape-like woman's garment with partial sleeves is often described as a mantle. In English, the idiom "to take up/pick up/assume the mantle" is from the Bible, and means to take a position of authority, leadership or responsibility in a particular area, especially in the sense of carrying on for a previous figure. The most notable appearance in th ...
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Leo III The Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian (; 685 – 18 June 741), also known as the Syrian, was the first List of Byzantine emperors, Byzantine emperor of the Isaurian dynasty from 717 until his death in 741. He put an end to the Twenty Years' Anarchy, a period of great instability in the Byzantine Empire between 695 and 717, marked by the rapid succession of several emperors to the throne, along with ending the continual defeats and territorial losses the Byzantines had suffered during the 7th century. He also successfully defended the Empire against the invading Umayyads and Byzantine Iconoclasm, forbade the veneration of icons. Early life Leo III was born in Germanikeia, Commagene, which is in modern Kahramanmaraş in Turkey. His original name was Konon (). Leo’s native tongue was Syriac language, Syriac or Arabic and he was described by Theophanes the Confessor as "the Saracen-minded," although there is very little evidence that he was directly influenced by Islam. After the victory of Ju ...
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Heraclius
Heraclius (; 11 February 641) was Byzantine emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular emperor Phocas. Heraclius's reign was marked by several military campaigns. The year Heraclius came to power, the empire was threatened on multiple frontiers. Heraclius immediately took charge of the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628. The first battles of the campaign ended in defeat for the Byzantines; the Persian army fought their way to the Bosphorus but Constantinople was protected by Walls of Constantinople, impenetrable walls and a strong navy, and Heraclius was able to avoid total defeat. Soon after, he initiated reforms to rebuild and strengthen the military. Heraclius drove the Persians out of Asia Minor and pushed deep into their territory, defeating them decisively in 627 at the Battle of Nineveh (627), Battle of Nineveh. The Persian Shah Khosrow II was overthro ...
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Theodore (brother Of Heraclius)
Theodore (, ; fl. c. 610 – 636) was the brother (or half-brother) of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (), a ''curopalates'' and leading general in Heraclius' Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602–628, wars against the Persians and against the Muslim conquest of Syria, Muslim conquest of the Levant. Life He was the son of the general and exarch of Africa Heraclius the Elder, and is usually regarded as the brother (although John of Nikiu suggests him to be the half-brother) of Heraclius. Soon after Heraclius' overthrow of the emperor Phocas (r. 602–610), Theodore was appointed to the crucial post of ''curopalates'', controlling the palace administration, which at the time was ranked second in importance only to the imperial office itself.Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), p. 1278 In 612, after the deposition and imprisonment of the ''magister militum per Orientem'' Priscus (magister militum), Priscus, command of his troops was assumed by Theodore and Philippicus (comes excubitorum), ...
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Phocas
Phocas (; ; 5475 October 610) was Eastern Roman emperor from 602 to 610. Initially a middle-ranking officer in the East Roman army, Roman army, Phocas rose to prominence as a spokesman for dissatisfied soldiers in their disputes with the court of the Emperor Maurice (emperor), Maurice. When the army rebelled in 602, Phocas emerged as the leader of the mutiny. The revolt led to the overthrow of Maurice on 22 November 602, with Phocas being declared emperor the next day. Phocas deeply mistrusted the uncooperative elite of Constantinople, to whom he was a usurper and a provincial boor. He therefore attempted to base his regime on relatives installed in high military and administrative positions. He immediately faced challenges in domestic and foreign affairs, and responded with little success. He dealt with domestic opposition with increasing ruthlessness that alienated ever wider circles, including some of his own household. At the same time, the Empire was threatened on multipl ...
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Domentziolus (nephew Of Phocas)
Domentziolus () or Domnitziolus (Greek: Δομνιτζίολος) was a nephew of the Byzantine emperor Phocas ( r. 602–610), appointed '' curopalates'' and general in the East during his uncle's reign.. He was one of the senior Byzantine military leaders during the opening stages of the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628. His defeats opened the way for the fall of Mesopotamia and Armenia and the invasion of Anatolia by the Persians. In 610, Phocas was overthrown by Heraclius, and Domentziolus was captured but escaped serious harm. Biography Background The exact parentage of Domentziolus is unclear: Phocas had two known brothers, Comentiolus and another also named Domentziolus, who has sometimes been suggested as the younger Domentziolus's father. Shortly after the accession of Phocas, in 603, the younger Domentziolus was raised to the titles of '' vir gloriosissimus'', '' patricius'' and '' curopalates''. General in the East Domentziolus, however, is better known as a g ...
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Maurice (emperor)
Maurice (; ; 539 – 27 November 602) was Eastern Roman emperor from 582 to 602 and the last member of the Justinian dynasty. A successful general, Maurice was chosen as heir and son-in-law by his predecessor Tiberius II. Maurice's reign was troubled by almost constant warfare. After he became emperor, he brought the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 572–591, war with Sasanian Persia to a Battle of the Blarathon, victorious conclusion. The empire's eastern border in the South Caucasus was vastly expanded and, for the first time in nearly two centuries, the Romans were no longer obliged to pay the Persians thousands of pounds of gold annually for peace. Afterward, Maurice Maurice's Balkan campaigns, campaigned extensively in the Balkans against the Pannonian Avars, Avars—pushing them back across the Danube by 599. He also conducted campaigns across the Danube, the first Roman emperor to do so in over two centuries. In the west, he established two large semi-autonomous provinces ...
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Peter (curopalates)
Petrus (, ''Petros'', also known as Peter in English (c. 545 in Arabissus, Cappadocia – 27 November 602 in Constantinople or Chalcedon) was a brother of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice (r. 582 - 602). Background Petrus was a son of Paul, head of the Byzantine Senate and a sibling to Maurice, Byzantine emperor; Gordia, the wife of Philippicus; and Theoctista.Whitby (1988), pp. 5 He had a son named Domitian, who became bishop of Melitene. Military career Raised to the rank of '' curopalates'', he was an important general in the Byzantine army. Together with Priscus and Comentiolus, he was one of the three commanders-in-chief during Maurice's Balkan campaigns. Though less able than Priscus, he succeeded the latter as leader of the Roman forces in Moesia in 594, being more loyal to the emperor, his own brother. The reason for this replacement was Priscus' refusal to obey the emperor's orders to spend the winter on the northern Danube bank in 593 and to carry on fighting the ...
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