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resources:byzantine_ottoman_imperial_court_military_civil_ranks

Byzantine & Ottoman Imperial, Court, Military & Civil Ranks

Prepared by Sargon. Hopefully with amendments, corrections and additions to the Ottoman section by Abdul Hadi Pasha or other Ottoman-knowledgeable members.

This is a comprehensive (but by no means fully complete and a work in progress) list of ranks, as historically used in the Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire. You can use it as a resource when planning and writing AH scenarios or OTL historical stories.


I. Byzantine Empire

Court and military ranks and titles used in the Byzantine Empire.

a) Byzantine Imperial family titles in rough order of prestige

Basileos - Emperor

Augoustus - Emperor

Basilissa - Empress

Augousta - Empress

Autokrator - (autocrat) Additional title used by the Emperor

Kronokrator - (Lord of Time) Additional title used by the Emperor

Kosmokrator - (Lord of the Universe) Additional title used by the Emperor

Kyrios - (Lord) Additional title used by the Emperor

Symbasileos - (Co-Emperor) a joint ruler, and can be more than two

Sebastos - (Majesty) a Greek form of Augustus

Sebaste - female version of Sebastos (both later superseded by Sebastokrator/Panhypersebastos)

Kaisar - (Ceasar) Deputy or Vice Emperor, later devalued after Sebastokrator was created.

Sebastokrator - (Venerable Ruler) Became second in the hierarchy until the arrival of Despotes and denoted a close relative of the Emperor whom he had special consideration for.

Panhypersebastos - Similar to Sebastokrator, but even more elaborately worded

Sebastokratorissa - Female version of Sebrastokrator Protosebastos

Despotes - (Despot or Great Lord) In the later Empire, a title second only to that of the Emperor - this pushed Kaisar down to 4th place.

Despoina - Female version of Despotes

Porphyrogenitos - (Purple Born) Imperial heir to the throne

Porphyrogeneta - Female Imperial heir

Basileopator - Father of the Emperor

b.) Byzantine Court titles

Protovestiarios - Personal Minister to the Emperor, -responsible for palace finances and day-to-day items such as daily and military clothing, travel arrangements and so on.

Parakoimomenos - (Bodyguard) and High Chamberlain

Kouropalates - Same as Parakoimomenos, but older usage

Prinkeps - (Prince) used for lesser members of the Imperial Family or other nobles

Doux - (Duke) as above

Doukissa - Female version of Doux

Komes - (Count) as above

c.) Byzantine Major Government & Administrative titles

These were titles usually held by civilians.

Megas Logothetes - (Grand Logothete) Basically the Chancellor or Prime Minister in overall charge of the Treasury and Legal offices

Logothetes tou Stratiotikou - (Military Logothete) In charge of military finances

Logothetes tou Dromou - Foreign Minister and Head of the Diplomatic Corps. Also responsible for postal services.

Logothetes tou Genikou - (General Logothete) Finance Minister similar to our Chancellor of the Exchequer

Logothetes ton Oikeiakon - Head of Domestic Affairs like our Home Office Minister.

Sacellarios - Serves as a supervisor to Logothetes and other positions. Generally with little real power and just honourary.

Tribounos - (Tribune) Earlier official responsible for the infrastructure of Constantinople, rather like the Department of the Environment and Transport.

Kephale - Governor, usually of a town

Horeiarios - Rather like a Minister of Food and Agriculture who was responsible for making sure granaries were stocked and grain was distributed properly

Protoasecretes - A type of secretary in charge of keeping palace records and below him were:

Eidikos - Official of the treasury

Kastrinsios - A Palace chamberlain

Chartoularios - A secretary in charge of Imperial archives and documents

Mystikos - A private secretary

d.) Byzantine Naval Titles

Strategos tou Karabisiani - (General of the Ships' Men) earlier title used for Naval Commander in charge of Home Fleet in Constantinople

Megas Doux - (Grand Duke) Like Chief of the Naval Staff and and in charge of not just the fleet but the organisation of naval themata

Megas Drungarios - Like a Grand Admiral

Drungarokomes - Like an Admiral of the Fleet

Drungarios - Admiral or Commander of a Fleet or naval squadron

Strategos - Admiral, similar and often the same as a Drungarios

Katepano - Governor of a naval theme and possibly the origin of the word 'Captain'

Kentarchos - Captain of a ship

Protokarabos - Co-captain of a ship (usually two of them onboard sharing command and not serving as Number One)

e.) Byzantine Army Titles

Exarchos - (Exarch) Civil and military governor higher than other governors. There were two, one in charge of the Exarchate of Carthage, and the other in charge of the Exarchate of Ravenna. Like a Viceroy.

Megas Domestikos - (Grand Domestic) Basically the Field Marshal and Chief of Staff of the whole Army

Domestikos ton Scholon - (Domestic of the Scholae/Schools) Head of the Imperial and Palace Guard

Protostrator - Commander or General of the entire Army

Domestikos tou thematos - (Domestic of the Themes) An overall regional commander like Army Commander of the Pacific Theatre or somesuch. There was one for the European territories (themata) of the Empire and one for the Asian territories.

Strategos - (General) Military commander and governor of a theme

Hypatos - (Consul) Rulers of City-states, in this case in western Italian coastal territories

Hypatissa - Feminine version of Hypatos

Tourmarches - Commander of a Tourma

Protospatharios - Senior officer in the Imperial Guard, like a Colonel or Major.

Spatharios - Officer in the Imperial Guard like a Captain or Lieutenant

Hoplitarches - Commander of a large Infantry Division in a major army, like a Lieutenant General

Taxiarches - Commander of an Infantry Division, like a Major General

Merarches - Commander of Cavalry Division, like a Major General

Protokentarchos - Commander of a smaller division such as a Brigade, so like a Brigadier or Brigadier General

Kentarchos - Commander of a smaller unit such as a Regiment, so like a Colonel in Chief or Colonel, or even a Captain

Stratopedarches - Like a Chief Quartermaster in charge of supplies and logistics to keep the army going and make sure it is well equipped

f.) Byzantine Special Titles

Ethnarches - General in charge of foreign troops or mercenaries

Topoterites - (Deputy Commander) often given to foreigners making up a mercenary or foreign unit, and likely to be the second in command to the Ethnarches, probably similar to a Lieutenant General

Akolouthos - (Acolyte) Commander in Chief or General of the Varangian Guard, the Emperor's personal bodyguard formation

Hetaireiarches - Commander in charge of barbarian mercenaries, probably similar to a Colonel

Kontostaulos - Usually Commander of Frankish mercenaries, and thus probably equivalent to a Count and a Colonel


II. Ottoman Empire

Court and military ranks and titles used in the Ottoman Empire.

a.) Ottoman Royal and Imperial Titles in rough order of prestige

Padishah/Sultan - Emperor

Hünkar - Shah, a title of the Sultan

Hakan ül-Berreyn vel-Bahreyn - Great Khan, a title of the Sultan

Hilaf (?) - Caliph ('Representative' or Successor'), Commander of the Faithful, a title of the Sultan

Sultana - Empress

Vali Ahad-i-Sultanat - Crown Prince

Shahzada Sultan - other sons of the Padishah

Damad-i-Shahyari (name) Bey Effendi - Imperial Princess' Husbands

Sultanzada (Name) Bey-Effendi - sons of Imperial Princesses not in the line of succession

Bey - male line grandsons of Imperial princesses (equivalent to Duke)

Khidiv - Khedive, sovereign lower than Sultan, rough equivalent would be King (title not recognised until later in the Empire)

b.) Ottoman Court and Administrative titles

Vezir-i âzam/Sadrazam - Grand Vizier - Grand Chamberlain or equivalent to modern day Prime Minister

Sadr-ı âlî - High Vizier - Basically the same as above. Could at a stretch be used for Deputy PM I guess

Pasha - see below

Kahya - Advisor to Grand Vizier

Adliye Nazırı - Minister of Justice

Vezir - Vizier, roughly equivalent to a British Cabinet Minister

Maliye Nazırı - Minister of Finance, titled Pasha and holding rank of Vizier

Defterdar - Treasury minister or Chancellor of the Exchequer

Nazır - Minister, in British usage a junior cabinet minister perhaps

Kethüdar - Assistant minister

Agha - see below

Kadıasker - Chief Justice or Judge, and title for military judges

kadi - Civil judge

Kalfa - Clerk

c.) Ottoman Military Titles

Kaptan-ı Derya - Supreme Commander of the Navy - Admiral of the Fleet

Nazir - Administrator or Chief of Staff of a military corps

Pasha - Title usually granted to Generals and Governors, equivalent to Lord, could be bestowed upon anyone the Court wished to honour

Agha - Commander of a Military branch, also a civil title of importance in the Court and other offices

Beylerbey - Governor General/Provincial Governor or General

Wāli - Governor (usually a Pasha) of a Vilayet (Province)

Sanjakbey - Military Governor (old style)

Bey - District or Provincial administrator

Alaybey - Regimental commander

Miralai - Colonel (Army) Captain (Navy)

Mutasarrıf - District governor of a smaller area than Beys

Kaymakam - Governor of a Nahiye (commune), equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel (Army) or a Commander (Navy)

Timarlu - owner of a small fief (old), possibly like a Knight or equivalent to a Lieutenant


resources/byzantine_ottoman_imperial_court_military_civil_ranks.txt · Last modified: 2019/03/29 15:13 by 127.0.0.1

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