megas dioiketes

The megas dioikētēs derives from the title dioikētēs ("administrator"), with the addition of megas, "grand". The dioikētēs was a provincial fiscal administrative post, which however was replaced in the early 12th century by the praktōr.{{sfn|ODB|loc="Dioiketes" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 627–628}}{{sfn|Macrides|Munitiz|Angelov|2013|p=109 (note 247)}}

The dignity is very obscure, and is rarely mentioned in the sources. Its first mention is about an anonymous holder in a letter by Manuel Moschopoulos, written in {{circa|1305}}.{{sfn|Macrides|Munitiz|Angelov|2013|p=109 (note 247)}} Most information comes from the Book of Offices, written by pseudo-Kodinos in the middle of the 14th century. According to pseudo-Kodinos, the office held no specific function, but was a purely honorific dignity.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=185}} In other sources, its holders appear to exercise fiscal and judicial functions.{{sfn|Macrides|Munitiz|Angelov|2013|p=109 (note 247)}}

In pseudo-Kodinos' work, the title ranked 55th in the court hierarchy, between the prōtallagatōr and the orphanotrophos.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=138}} In other contemporary lists of offices his position varies, but is far lower, coming usually right after the logariastēs tēs aulēs.{{sfn|Macrides|Munitiz|Angelov|2013|p=284}} Thus in the appendix to the Hexabiblos, which reflects the usage during the late reign of Andronikos II Palaiologos ({{reign|1282|1328}}) or during the reign of Andronikos III Palaiologos ({{reign|1328|1341}}), he ranks 79th among 91 offices, right before the nomophylax and following the logariastēs tēs aulēs.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=301}} In the list of Matthew Blastares, which also reflects usage under Andronikos II, he ranks 79th among 90 dignities,{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=323}} and in an anonymous list in verse, which probably corresponds to the situation in 1321–1328, 50th among 60.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=337}} In the early 15th-century list of Paris. gr. 1783, the megas dioikētēs is the 67th among 75 dignities,{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=306}} in that of Vatic. gr. 962 he ranks 69th among 92 dignities,{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=308}} and in that of Xeropotam. 191 64th among 69 dignities.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=310}}

Pseudo-Kodinos also provides information on the dignity's court dress: a skiadion hat with gold-wire embroidery, a "plain silk" kaftan-like kabbadion, and a ceremonial domed hat called skaranikon, covered with velvet and topped with a red tassel. The uniform was complemented by a staff (dikanikion) of plain wood, smooth and without a knob.{{sfn|Verpeaux|1966|p=163}}

Only a handful of holders are known by name: the writer and official Theodore Kabasilas in 1316–1322;{{sfn|PLP|loc=10090. Καβάσιλας Θεόδωρος}} the katholikos kritēs Glabas in 1330–1341;{{sfn|PLP|loc=91682. Γλαβᾶς}} and the sebastos John Doukas Balsamon, megas dioikētēs at Thessalonica in 1355, known only from an act concerning the Docheiariou monastery.{{sfn|PLP|loc=91427. Bαλσαμών, Ἰωάννης ∆ούκας}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Portal|Byzantine Empire}}

• {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|ref={{harvid|ODB}}}}
• {{cite book | last1 = Macrides | first1 = Ruth J. | last2 = Munitiz | first2 = Joseph A. | last3 = Angelov | first3 = Dimiter | title = Pseudo-Kodinos and the Constantinopolitan Court: Offices and Ceremonies | year = 2013 | publisher = Ashgate | isbn = 978-0-7546-6752-0 }}
• {{Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit}}
• {{cite book | editor-first = Jean | editor-last = Verpeaux | title = Pseudo-Kodinos, Traité des Offices | publisher = Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique | year = 1966 | language = French }}

{{Byzantine offices after pseudo-Kodinos}}

Category:Byzantine court titles