Megas archon
Introduction The title of '''''megas archōn''''' (; "grand archon") was a Byzantine court title during the 13th–14th centuries.
History and functions The title of ''megas archōn'' appears originally as a translation of foreign titles, with the meaning of "grand prince"; thus in the middle of the 10th century Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos calls the Magyar ruler Árpád as "great prince of ''Tourkia'' Hungary" () in chapter 40 of his ''De Administrando Imperio''. The Nicaean emperor Theodore II Laskaris () first established it as a specific court rank, originally designating the highest-ranking officer of the emperor's retinue. By the time pseudo-Kodinos wrote his ''Book of Offices'' in the mid-14th century, however, it had become a purely honorific dignity without any duties attached. In the ''Book of Offices'', the post is listed in the 35th place of the imperial hierarchy, between the ''prōtospatharios'' and the ''tatas tēs aulēs'', but other contemporary lists of offices (e.g. the appendix to the ''Hexabiblos''), which reflect the usage during the late reign of Andronikos II Palaiologos () or during the reign of Andronikos III Palaiologos (), place him in the 38th place. The list of ''Xeropot. 191'' places him in 34th in the hierarchy, while in the list of office given in the 15th-century manuscript ''Paris. gr. 1783'', the title is missing. His ceremonial costume is given by pseudo-Kodinos as follows: a gold-embroidered ''skiadion'' hat, a plain silk ''kabbadion'' kaftan, and a ''skaranikon'' (domed hat) covered in golden and lemon-yellow silk and decorated with gold wire and images of the emperor in front and rear, respectively depicted enthroned and on horseback. He bore no staff of office (''dikanikion'').
Known holders  Name Tenure Appointed by Notes RefsConstantine MargaritesTheodore II LaskarisFirst holder of the title, created for him by Theodore II. He had previously held the titles of ''tzaousios'', ''megas tzaousios'', and ''archōn tou allagiou''.MichaelAndronikos II PalaiologosMentioned only once as ''pansebastos'', "''megas archōn'' of the East", and ''kephalē'' (governor) of Rhodes and the Cyclades.Angelos Doukas Komnenos Tarchaneiotes – Andronikos II PalaiologosMilitary commander and later in life a monk; he is known from two funerary orations composed for him by Manuel Philes.MaroulesAndronikos II PalaiologosA military commander, he was put in command of the Byzantine troops accompanying the Catalan Company in its campaign against the Turks in Asia Minor, under the overall command of Roger de Flor. Later promoted ''epi tou stratou'', he fought against the Catalans in Thrace in 1306–1308.Alexios RaoulAndronikos II PalaiologosMilitary commander, correspondent of Michael Gabras and Manuel Philes.Demetrios AngelosAndronikos III Palaiologos''Oikeios'' of the emperor, attested as one of the witnesses to a peace treaty with Venice, concluded in November 1332.John ParasphondylosJohn V PalaiologosAttested as one of the witnesses to the renewal of the peace treaty with Venice in March 1342.Demetrios Doukas KabasilasJohn V PalaiologosLoyalist of John VI Kantakouzenos during the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347 and landholder in Chalcidice and ''megas papias'', mentioned as ''megas archōn'' in an act of March 1369 about a property deed in the Zographou Monastery.KabasilasunknownAttested as ''megas archōn'' at Serres, possibly son of Demetrios Doukas Kabasilas.Antonios MandromenosunknownAttested in a single manuscript; it either refers to the ''megas archōn'' and monk Antonios Mandromenos, or to the monk Antonios, servant of the ''megas archōn'' Mandromenos
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