Mystikos

Byzantine office of the imperial chancery

The mystikos (Greek: μυστικός, "the secret one") was an important Byzantine office of the imperial chancery from the 9th through to the 15th centuries. Its initial role is unclear; he was probably the Byzantine emperor's private secretary. In time, the office also exercised judicial duties. It became an important fiscal official in the Komnenian period, and remained one of the highest-ranking state offices into the Palaiologan period as well.

## History and functions

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The office first appears in the reign of Emperor Basil I the Macedonian (r. 867–886), when it was held by Leo Choirosphaktes.[1] The original function of the office is unclear.[2] Franz Dölger regarded the mystikos as the emperor's private secretary, while Nicolas Oikonomides considered him already at that stage as a judicial official.[1]

Due to their proximity to the emperor, the holders of the office had considerable power. Already under Emperor Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912), a mystikos became Patriarch of Constantinople: Nicholas I Mystikos.[3] Trusted by the emperors, the mystikoi are thus attested as occupying various important offices: at times they exercised the duties of a protasekretis (head of the chancery), various judicial duties, or served as heads of the establishment of the imperial bedchamber (koiton).[1] The office rose to particular prominence under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180), when the mystikos was given charge of the imperial palace and the emperor's private treasury, thus controlling not only the flow of salaries to the various imperial officials, but also the patronage and donations from the imperial purse to the Church.[4] The office remained important in the 13th century, when at least one of its holders held the rank of sebastos. The title's functions at this time, however, are again unclear.[5] The office remains attested up to the end of the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century.[1]

## Derivative offices

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In the 10th and 11th centuries, a number of offices were based on the term mystikos. The protomystikos (πρωτομυστικός, "first mystikos") is attested in 1057 as a senior judicial official.[1] Furthermore, the posts of mystographos (μυστογράφος) and mystolektes (μυστολέκτης) are frequently attested in seals. The former is first attested in 911/2 and was extant until c. 1100, when it was probably abolished by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118). He was possibly the assistant of the mystikos, since he follows right after him in the list of offices of the Escorial Taktikon, written around 975, and its holders' seals pair the title with positions as notaries and judicial officials.[6][7] The office of mystolektes is chiefly attested in seals of the 11th and 12th centuries. Along with notarial and judicial posts, its holders are also linked in seals with positions within the court itself.[8]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e Kazhdan 1991, p. 1431.
2. ^ Magdalino 1994, p. 101.
3. ^ Kazhdan 1991, pp. 1431, 1466.
4. ^ Magdalino 2002, pp. 260–261.
5. ^ Macrides 2007, pp. 27, 219.
6. ^ Kazhdan 1991, pp. 1431–1432.
7. ^ Magdalino 1994, p. 109.
8. ^ Kazhdan 1991, p. 1432.

## Sources

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* Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
* Macrides, Ruth (2007). George Akropolites: The History – Introduction, Translation and Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-921067-1.
* Magdalino, Paul (1984). "The Not-so-secret Functions of the Mystikos". Revue des études byzantines. 42 (42): 229–240\. doi:10.3406/rebyz.1984.2158.
* Magdalino, Paul (1994). "Justice and Finance in the Byzantine State, Ninth to Twelfth Centuries". In Laiou, Angeliki E.; Simon, Dieter (eds.). Law and Society in Byzantium, 9th-12th Centuries. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks. pp. 93–116\. ISBN 0-88402-222-6.
* Magdalino, Paul (2002) [1993]. The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143–1180. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-52653-1.

## Further reading

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* Guilland, Rodolphe (1968). "Études sur l'histoire administrative de l'empire byzantin: Le mystique, ὁ μυστικός". Revue des études byzantines (in French). 26 (26): 279–296\. doi:10.3406/rebyz.1968.1409.

* v
* t
* e

Order of Byzantine palace offices (after pseudo-Kodinos)

1. Despotes
2. Sebastokrator
3. Caesar
4. Megas domestikos
5. Panhypersebastos
6. Protovestiarios
7. Megas doux
8. Protostrator
9. Megas logothetes
10. Megas stratopedarches
11. Megas primmikerios
12. Megas konostaulos
13. Protosebastos
14. Pinkernes
15. Kouropalates
16. Parakoimomenos tes sphendones
17. Parakoimomenos tou koitonos
18. Logothetes tou genikou
19. Protovestiarites
20. Domestikos tes trapezes
21. Epi tes trapezes
22. Megas papias
23. Eparchos
24. Megas droungarios tes vigles
25. Megas hetaireiarches
26. Megas chartoullarios
27. Logothetes tou dromou
28. Protasekretis
29. Epi tou stratou
30. Mystikos
31. Domestikos ton scholon
32. Megas droungarios tou stolou
33. Primmikerios tes aules
34. Protospatharios
35. Megas archon
36. Tatas tes aules
37. Megas tzaousios
38. Praitor tou demou
39. Logothetes ton oikeiakon
40. Megas logariastes
41. Protokynegos
42. Skouterios
43. Ameralios
44. Epi ton deeseon
45. Koiaistor
46. Megas adnoumiastes
47. Logothetes tou stratiotikou
48. Protoierakarios
49. Logothetes ton agelon
50. Megas diermeneutes
51. Akolouthos
52. Krites tou phossatou
53. Archon tou allagiou
54. Protallagator
55. Megas dioiketes
56. Orphanotrophos
57. Protonotarios
58. Epi ton anamneseon
59. Domestikos ton teicheon
60. Prokathemenos of the koiton
61. Prokathemenos of the vestiarion
62. Vestiariou
63. Hetaireiarches
64. Logariastes tes aules
65. Stratopedarches of the monokaballoi
66. Stratopedarches of the tzangratores
67. Stratopedarches of the mourtatoi
68. Stratopedarches of the Tzakones
69. Prokathemenos of the Great Palace
70. Prokathemenos of the Palace of Blachernae
71. Domestikos of the themata
72. Domestikos of the eastern themata
73. Domestikos of the western themata
74. Megas myrtaïtes
75. Protokomes
76. Papias
77. Droungarios
78. Sebastos
79. Myrtaïtes
80. Prokathemenoi of the cities according to their importance

* unknown rank
* Epi tou kanikleiou
* Megas baïoulos

*[r.]: reigned
*[c.]: circa
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