Category: Glossary of Byzantine Terms

Visigoths (western Goths): Groupings of Goths who raided into Roman territory in the fourth and f...

Alloy containing silver and gold in a Byzantine coin.

Opsikion: one of the earliest themes to emerge; based in north-west Asia Minor, closest to Consta...

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

Christian sacrament in which the body and the blood of Christ are conveyed to believers in the fo...

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

Diocese: Lat. dioecesa, Gk. Dioikêsis, an administrative unit consisting of several provinces; fr...

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

Kapnikon: Tax on “hearths” or households, introduced probably during the later 7th or 8th century.

tribunus (s.), tribuni (pl.): term for indigenous local rulers in southern Italy, which fell out ...

Chrysotriklinos: ‘golden hall’, from ‘gold’ (chrysos) and ‘hall’ (triklinos): large reception hal...

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

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

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

Genikon(sekreton): The general treasury and main fiscal department of government after the 7th ce...

The name of several officials, the most important being the eparch of the City, the civil governo...

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

Strategos: A general; in Byzantine times usually the governor of a military district or thema, an...

Aktemon: A peasant with no property, no oxen or plough.

True Cross: wooden cross on which Christ was crucified, or fragments – relics – supposedly from it.