▁the ▁alter ations ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁se als ▁of ▁the ▁kom mer ki ario i ▁are ▁to ▁be ▁attributed ▁to ▁Emperor ▁Leo ▁III ▁the ▁Is aur ian ▁( r . ▁ 7 1 7 – 7 4 1 ), ▁who ▁executed ▁a ▁system atic ▁campaign ▁of ▁rest oring ▁state ▁control ▁over ▁activities ▁that ▁were ▁previously ▁controlled ▁by ▁private ▁interests . ▁After ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century , ▁these ▁kom merk ia ▁only ▁appear ▁in ▁Mac ed onia ▁and ▁Th race . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁the ▁kom mer ki ario i ▁decre ased ▁in ▁importance . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁K let or olog ion ▁of ▁Phil othe os , ▁they ▁are ▁mentioned ▁as ▁sub altern ▁officials ▁of ▁the ▁gen ikon ▁log oth es ion . ▁These ▁new ▁officials ▁were ▁known ▁as ▁bas il ik oi ▁[" imper ial "] ▁kom mer ki ario i ▁and ▁had ▁juris diction ▁over ▁them es ▁or ▁ports , ▁controlled ▁imports ▁and ▁exports , ▁and ▁collected ▁some ▁duties . ▁On ▁the ▁se als ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁to ▁ 1 1 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁kom mer ki ario i ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁larger ▁territ ories , ▁such ▁as ▁Cy pr us ▁or ▁Ch ald ia , ▁or ▁operating ▁in ▁trade ▁cent ers ▁such ▁as ▁Ch erson , ▁A by d os , ▁and ▁E ry th rai . ▁Sometimes , ▁the ▁kom mer ki ario i ▁operated ▁simultaneously ▁in ▁territ ories ▁far ▁removed