epi tou eidikou

The origin of the office is disputed: the department is first attested in the reign of Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842), but some scholars (e.g. Rodolphe Guilland) derive the etymology of the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikon}} department from the word {{Transliteration|grc|idikos}}, {{lit.|private}}, indicating a continuation of the Late Roman office of {{lang|la|comes rerum privatarum}}.{{sfn|Bury|1911|p=98}}{{sfn|Guilland|1971|pp=85ff., esp. 89}} This view is rejected by others, notably J. B. Bury, who see it as a wholly separate institution, juxtaposing the 'special' department of the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikon}} with the 'general' department or {{Transliteration|grc|genikon}}, and consider it as originating in the military departments of the Late Roman praetorian prefectures.{{sfn|Bury|1911|pp=98–99}} Ernst Stein, on the other hand, connected it to the word {{Transliteration|grc|eidos}} (meaning 'ware'), and regarded the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikon}} as the treasury for revenue paid in kind rather than coin.{{sfn|Guilland|1971|p=89}}

The {{Transliteration|grc|eidikon}} fulfilled the dual function of imperial treasury and storehouse. As a treasury, it stored various precious materials such as silk or gold, and was responsible for the payment of the annual salaries ({{Transliteration|grc|rogai}}) of officials of senatorial rank. As a storehouse, the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikon}} controlled the state factories producing military equipment (the Late Roman {{lang|la|fabricae}}) and was responsible for supplying the necessary matériel for expeditions, ranging from weapons to "sails, ropes, hides, axes, wax, tin, lead, casks" for the fleet or even Arab clothing for imperial spies.{{sfn|Louth|2005|p=305}}{{sfn|Bury|1911|p=99}} For expeditions in which the emperor himself took part, the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikos}} accompanied the army at the head of his own baggage train of 46 pack-horses carrying everything "from shoes to candlesticks", as well as large sums of gold and silver coinage for the emperor's use.{{sfn|Bury|1911|p=99}}{{sfn|Guilland|1971|p=91}}

The department is still attested as late as 1081, but was probably abolished some time after; Rodolphe Guilland suggested that the {{Transliteration|grc|logothesion}} of the {{Transliteration|grc|oikeiakoi}} ('household men') took over its functions (cf. {{Transliteration|grc|logothetes ton oikeiakon}}).{{sfn|Guilland|1971|pp=95–96}}

As with all Byzantine department heads, the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikos}} had a number of subordinate officials:

• The {{Transliteration|grc|basilikoi notarioi}} ({{lang|grc|βασιλικοί νοτάριοι}}, 'imperial notaries'), as in all fiscal departments, usually of {{Transliteration|grc|spatharios}} rank or lower; a {{Transliteration|grc|protonotarios}} ('first notary') is attested at their head in the Komnenian period (1081–1185).{{sfn|Bury|1911|p=100}}{{sfn|Guilland|1971|p=94}}
• The {{Transliteration|grc|archontes ton ergodosion}} ({{lang|grc|ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐργοδοσίων}}, 'masters of the factories') and {{Transliteration|grc|meizoteroi ton ergodosion}} ({{lang|grc|μειζότεροι τῶν ἐργοδοσίων}} ,'overseers/foremen of the factories'). As their name indicates, they supervised individual state factories for silk, jewelry, weapons, etc. They are well attested in seals from the 7th century on, and from the 9th century on they are frequently called {{Transliteration|grc|kouratores}}.{{sfn|Bury|1911|p=100}}{{harvnb|ODB|loc="Archontes ton ergodosion" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 160–161}}.{{sfn|Guilland|1971|p=94}}
• The {{Transliteration|grc|hebdomadarioi tou eidikou}} ({{lang|grc|ἑβδομαδάριοι τοῦ εἰδικοῦ}}), palace servants.{{sfn|Bury|1911|p=100}}{{sfn|Guilland|1971|p=94}}

The seat of the {{Transliteration|grc|eidikon}} was in a special building within the Great Palace of Constantinople, which tradition ascribed to Constantine the Great ({{reign|306|337}}). It was situated between the great halls of the Triconchos and the Lausiakos, near the imperial audience hall of the Chrysotriklinos.{{sfn|Guilland|1971|p=94}}

{{reflist|2}}

{{Portal|Byzantine Empire}}

• {{cite book |last=Bury |first=John Bagnell |author-link=J. B. Bury |title=The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century - With a Revised Text of the Kletorologion of Philotheos |year=1911 |location=London |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=https://archive.org/details/imperialadminist00buryrich}}
• {{cite journal|last=Guilland|first=Rodolphe| author-link=Rodolphe Guilland|title=Les Logothètes: Etudes sur l'histoire administrative de l'Empire byzantin|journal=Revue des études byzantines|volume=29|issue=29 |year=1971 |pages=5–115 |doi=10.3406/rebyz.1971.1441 |url=http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rebyz_0766-5598_1971_num_29_1_1441|language=fr}}
• {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|ref={{harvid|ODB}}}}
• {{New Cambridge Medieval History | volume=1|last=Louth|first=Andrew|chapter=The Byzantine Empire in the Seventh Century}}

{{Byzantine Empire topics}}

Category:Byzantine fiscal offices

Category:Byzantine military equipment

Category:Military logistics