Английская Википедия:Basileopator
Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang-el) was one of the highest secular titles of the Byzantine Empire. It was an exceptional post (the 899 Kletorologion of Philotheos lists it as one of the 'special dignities', Шаблон:Transl),Шаблон:Sfn and conferred only twice in the Empire's history.
Its holder was not the emperor's biological father, and although the exact functions associated with the post remain obscure, it is generally hypothesized that it was meant to denote a regent acting as a custodian and tutor over a young emperor.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn A different interpretation, however, has been offered by A. Schmink, whereby the alternative spelling Шаблон:Transl (βασιλειοπάτωρ), found both in contemporary seals and in the Life of Theophano hagiography, ought to be preferred. The title could then be interpreted as meaning 'father of the palace', confirming the holder's position as the emperor's chief aide without implying any sort of tutelage over him.Шаблон:Sfn
The title was created, sometime between August 891 and May 893,Шаблон:Sfn by Emperor Leo VI the Wise (Шаблон:Reign) for Stylianos Zaoutzes, the father of Leo's long-time mistress and later second wife, Zoe Zaoutzaina.Шаблон:Sfn Coming in addition to Stylianos's earlier title of Шаблон:Transl and the position of Шаблон:Transl, by this act Leo, according to the traditional interpretation, is held to have formally placed the affairs of the Byzantine Empire in Zaoutzes's hands until the latter's death in 899.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn More recent scholarship, however, has cast doubt on the image of the "all-powerful Шаблон:Transl" (Shaun Tougher), citing evidence in support of Leo's effective control of the government. Either way, the title placed Stylianos at the apex of the civil bureaucracy, directly below the emperor himself.Шаблон:Sfn
The title was revived in 919 for admiral Romanos Lekapenos after he married his daughter Helena to Emperor Constantine VII (Шаблон:Reign),Шаблон:Sfn but within a few months he was raised further to Шаблон:Transl and, shortly after, was crowned senior emperor, with Constantine VII relegated to co-emperor.Шаблон:Sfn The title was not used thereafter except in a literary context; Symeon Metaphrastes for instance anachronistically calls Arsenius the Great a Шаблон:Transl, as he was the tutor of Honorius and Arcadius, the sons of Emperor Theodosius I (Шаблон:Reign). There was also an attempt by supporters of Michael Palaiologos (Шаблон:Reign) to revive the title in 1258, when he was appointed regent over the underage Nicaean emperor John IV Laskaris (Шаблон:Reign),Шаблон:Sfn but instead, he assumed the titles of Шаблон:Transl, then Шаблон:Transl, before finally being crowned emperor in 1259.Шаблон:Sfn
References
Sources
- Шаблон:The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century
- Шаблон:Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
- Шаблон:Cite book
