also adopted in the medieval Serbian states as protovestijar (, archaic: протовистіар), and likewise entailed fiscal responsibilities, being the equivalent to a "finance minister". According to historian John V. A. Fine, Jr., "The chief financial official responsible for the state treasury and its income was the protovestijar. This position was regularly held by a merchant from Kotor who understood financial management and bookkeeping. Both protovestijars and logothetes were used as diplomats, the protovestijars in particular being sent west, for as citizens of Kotor they knew Italian and Latin." It was mentioned during the rule of King Stefan Uroš I (r. 1243–1276). Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) elevated the nobility and clergy when crowned Emperor; komornik Nikola Buća from Kotor was appointed protovestijar. The power of the protovestijar is best testified by the proverb derived from Nikola Buća: "Car da – al Buća ne da" (The Emperor gives, but Buća does not). The Buća family produced several protovestijars, including Nikola's nephew Trifun Mihajlov Buća (fl. 1357), one of the most important people in his time, who served Emperor Dušan's successor Uroš V. Bosnia Tvrtko I (Ban of Bosnia, 1353–77, King 1377—1391) added the ranks logotet and protovestijar after the Serbian model after crowning himself King. Tvrtko's first protovestijar was a Ragusan, kapedan Ratko, elevated in 1378. Brailo Tezalović ( 1392–1433) was a Bosnian knez and merchant, nobleman and diplomat, who served Bosnian magnate Pavle Radinović and his family, with the titles of carinik (customs official). Zeta Balša II (Lord of Zeta, 1378–85), added the rank into service after taking Durrazzo in spring 1385, appointing Filip Bareli. Principality of Achaea The title of protovestiarios was also adopted in the Frankish Principality of Achaea, where it designated an office equivalent to a Western chamberlain and charged with keeping the list of fief-holders. This office was often given to native Greeks. See also Vestararius, papal office derivative of the protovestiarios Logothetes ton oikeiakon References Sources Byzantine palace offices Byzantine fiscal offices Protovestiarioi Court titles of medieval Bosnia Titles in Serbia