Category: Glossary of Byzantine Terms

Ducat: Two types of coin from the duchy of Venice: (1) the thirteenthand early fourteenth-century...

Davidic of or pertaining to David, king of Israel, or to his family

Demesne: Western form of land tenure, referring to the lands retained by a lord for his own use (...

Boukellarioi: theme formed in the later eighth century in north-west Asia Minor, taking its name ...

Eunuch: Castrated male who could occupy any position in the imperial system; some offi ces were r...

Ekklesiarches: The sacristan of a church, responsible for preparing for services by setting out t...

Ecloga: “Selections” from Roman law, interpreted in the light of its own time and codifi ed as a ...

Despotes: High imperial title in the later Byzantine period, generally reserved for members of th...

Confraternity: A group of laymen, clerics, and monks linked to monasteries and formed to honor pa...

Codex Justinianus: Codification of Roman law produced at the beginning of the reign of Justinian ...

Roga: Originally a salary paid monthly, quarterly, or annually; from at least the 9th century als...

Scriptorium: A writing bureau or clerical copying establishment, usually associated with a monast...

Thelematarioi: “Volunteers,” soldiers/watchmen who served on the basis of grants of land given by...

Synodikon: An inventory in a church or monastery that registered items donated and the commemorat...

Typikon: Document setting out the rules and regulations for the administration of a monastic comm...

Thema: A “theme,” from the early 9th century the technical term for the district across which sol...

Kommerkiarioi: Fiscal officials responsible for state-supervised commerce and the taxes thereon. ...

Praetorian Prefecture: The largest administrative unit of the empire from the time of Constantine...

Oikonomos: The financial officer of a large church monastery, responsible for the management of i...

Laura: A type of monastery in which monks lived as solitaries during the week, but assembled on w...