Megas doux

The office was initially created by Alexios I Komnenos ({{reign|1081|1118}}), who reformed the derelict Byzantine navy and amalgamated the remnants of its various provincial squadrons into a unified force under the {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}}.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Megas doux" (A. Kazhdan), p. 1330}} The Emperor's brother-in-law John Doukas is usually considered to have been the first to hold the title, being raised to it in 1092, when he was tasked with suppressing the Turkish emir Tzachas. There is however a document dated to December 1085, where a monk Niketas signs as supervisor of the estates of an unnamed {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}}.{{sfn|Polemis|1968|p=67}}{{sfn|Skoulatos|1980|p=147}} The office of "{{Transliteration|grc|doux}} [commander] of the fleet" ({{lang|grc|δούξ τοῦ στόλου}}, {{Transliteration|grc|doux tou stolou}}), with similar responsibilities and hence perhaps a precursor of the office of {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}}, is also mentioned at the time, being given {{circa|1086}} to Manuel Boutoumites and in 1090 to Constantine Dalassenos.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Megas doux" (A. Kazhdan), p. 1330}}{{sfn|Skoulatos|1980|pp=61, 181}}

File:Seal of the sebastos, rhaiktor and megas doux Alexios Katakourianos.png}}, {{Transliteration|grc|rhaiktor}} and {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} Alexios Katakourianos, "born of the Komnenoi". He is known only from this seal.]]

Initially, the office may have designated ad hoc commanders-in-chief placed in charge of combined naval and land expeditions, before coming to denote the head of the imperial fleet.{{sfn|Oikonomidis|1980|p=312}}

John Doukas, the first known {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}}, led campaigns on both land and sea and was responsible for the re-establishment of firm Byzantine control over the Aegean and the islands of Crete and Cyprus in the years 1092–93 and over western Anatolia in 1097.{{sfn|Polemis|1968|pp=66–69}}{{sfn|Skoulatos|1980|pp=145–149}}{{sfn|Angold|1997|p=150}} From this time the {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} was also given overall control of the provinces of Hellas, the Peloponnese and Crete, which chiefly provided the manpower and resources for the fleet.{{sfn|Angold|1997|p=151}}{{sfn|Oikonomidis|1980|pp=312–313}} However, since the {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} was one of the Empire's senior officials, and mostly involved with the central government and various military campaigns, de factο governance of these provinces rested with the provinces' {{Transliteration|grc|praitor}} or {{Transliteration|grc|katepano}}, and various local leaders.{{sfn|Magdalino|2002|p=234}} During the 12th century, the post of {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} was dominated by the Kontostephanos family;{{sfn|ODB|loc="Megas doux" (A. Kazhdan), p. 1330}} one of its members, Andronikos Kontostephanos, was one of the most important officers of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos ({{reign|1143|1180}}), assisting him in achieving many land and naval victories.

With the virtual disappearance of the Byzantine fleet after the Fourth Crusade, the title was retained as an honorific in the Empire of Nicaea. Michael VIII Palaiologos ({{reign|1259|1282}}) assumed the title when he became regent for John IV Laskaris ({{reign|1258|1261}}), before being raised to senior co-emperor.{{sfn|Bartusis|1997|p=274}} It was also used by the Latin Empire, where, in {{circa|1207}}, the Latin emperor awarded the island of Lemnos and the hereditary title of {{lang|la|megadux}} to the Venetian (or possibly of mixed Greek and Venetian descent) Filocalo Navigajoso ("{{lang|la|imperiali privilegio Imperii Megaducha est effectus}}").{{sfn|ODB|loc="Megas doux" (A. Kazhdan), p. 1330}}{{sfn|Van Tricht|2011|pp=112, 130, 144}} His descendants inherited the title and the rule of Lemnos until evicted by the Byzantines in 1278.

After the Byzantine recovery of Constantinople in 1261, the title reverted to its old function as commander-in-chief of the navy, and remained a high rank for the remainder of the empire, its holder ranking sixth after the emperor, between the {{Transliteration|grc|protovestiarios}} and the {{Transliteration|grc|protostrator}}.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Megas doux" (A. Kazhdan), p. 1330}}{{sfn|Bartusis|1997|p=381}} As such, it was also sometimes conferred upon foreigners in imperial service, the most notable among these being the Italian Licario, who recovered many Aegean islands for Emperor Michael VIII,{{sfn|Bartusis|1997|p=60}} and Roger de Flor, head of the Catalan Company.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Megas doux" (A. Kazhdan), p. 1330}} The mid-14th century Book of Offices of Pseudo-Kodinos lists the insignia of the {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} as a golden-red {{Transliteration|grc|skiadion}} hat decorated with embroideries in the {{Transliteration|grc|klapoton}} style, without veil. Alternatively, a domed {{Transliteration|grc|skaranikon}} hat could be worn, again in red and gold and decorated with golden wire, with a portrait of the emperor standing in front, and another of him enthroned in the rear. The {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} also wore a rich silk tunic, the kabbadion, and could choose the fabric himself "from those that are in use". His staff of office ({{Transliteration|grc|dikanikion}}) featured carved knots and knobs in gold, bordered with silver braid.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|pp=153–154}} Pseudo-Kodinos also records that, while the other warships flew "the usual imperial flag" of the cross and the firesteels, the flagship of the {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}} flew an image of the emperor on horseback.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=167}} His subordinate officials were the {{Transliteration|grc|megas droungarios tou stolou}}, the {{Transliteration|grc|ameralios}}, the {{Transliteration|grc|protokomes}}, a number of junior {{Transliteration|grc|droungarioi}}, and of junior {{Transliteration|grc|kometes}}.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=167}}

The Serbian Empire, established in 1346 by Tsar Stefan Dushan, adopted various Byzantine titles, among them that of {{Transliteration|grc|megas doux}}, which became the "grand voivode" ({{Transliteration|sr|veliki vojvoda}}), albeit without any naval connotations. Holders of the office included senior noblemen such as Jovan Uglješa{{sfn|PLP|loc=21150. Οὔγκλεσις Ἰωάννης}} and Jovan Oliver.{{sfn|PLP|loc=14888. Λίβερος Ἰωάννης}}

In the 1490 Valencian epic romance Tirant lo Blanc, the valiant knight Tirant the White from Brittany travels to Constantinople and becomes a Byzantine megadux. This story has no basis in actual history, though it may reflect the above-mentioned cases of the office being conferred upon foreigners.

{{Reflist|24em}}

{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFAngold1997|CITEREFMagdalino2002|CITEREFNicol1988}}

• {{The Byzantine Empire, 1025–1204: A Political History|edition=Second}}
• {{cite book | first = Mark C. | last = Bartusis | title = The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society 1204–1453 | publisher = University of Pennsylvania Press | year = 1997 | isbn = 0-8122-1620-2 }}
• {{Emperor Michael Palaeologus and the West}}
• {{Recherches sur les institutions byzantines | volume = I | chapter = Le Drongaire de la flotte, le Grand drongaire de la flotte, le Duc de la flotte, le Mégaduc | pages = 535–562}}
• {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|ref={{harvid|ODB}}}}
• {{Byzantium and Venice: A Study in Diplomatic and Cultural Relations}}
• {{The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261–1453|edition=Second}}
• {{The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos}}
• {{Cite book | last = Oikonomidis | first = N. |authorlink = Nicolas Oikonomides | chapter = Οι αυθένται των Κρητών το 1118 | trans-chapter = The lords of the Cretans in 1118 | pages = 308–317 | title = Πεπραγμένα του Δ' Διεθνούς Κρητολογικού Συνεδρίου, Ηράκλειο, 29 Αυγούστου - 3 Δεκεμβρίου 1976. Τόμος Β′ Βυζαντινοί και μέσοι χρόνοι | location = Athens | language = Greek | publisher = University of Crete | year = 1980 | url = https://anemi.lib.uoc.gr/metadata/0/6/1/metadata-1643884844-836717-19947.tkl}}
• {{Polemis-The Doukai}}
• {{cite journal | last = Savvides | first = Alexis | title = Η γενουατική κατάληψη της Ρόδου το 1248–1250 μ.Χ. | journal = Παρνασσός | volume = 32 | year = 1990 | pages = 183–199 | language = Greek }}
• {{Les personnages byzantins de l'Alexiade}}
• {{Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit}}
• {{The Latin Renovatio of Byzantium}}
• {{cite book |editor-first=Jean |editor-last=Verpeaux |language=French |title=Pseudo-Kodinos, Traité des Offices |location=Paris |publisher=Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique |year=1966}}

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