Gregory Kamateros ( gr, Γρηγόριος Καματηρός, Grēgorios Kamatēros; ) was a senior
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
official. Of low birth but very well educated, he reached high office under Emperor
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...
and eventually became ''
logothetes ton sekreton The ''logothetēs tōn sekretōn'' ( grc-gre, λογοθέτης τῶν σεκρέτων) was an official supervising all the ''sekreta'' (fiscal departments) of the Byzantine Empire during the Komnenian period. In the early 13th century, his offic ...
'', ''de facto'' prime minister, under both Alexios and
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( gr, Ἱωάννης ὁ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs ho Komnēnos; 13 September 1087 – 8 April 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (), he ...
. Through his marriage with Irene Doukaina, an imperial relative, he founded the bureaucratic dynasty of the
Doukai
The House of Doukas, Latinized as Ducas ( el, Δούκας; feminine: Doukaina/Ducaena, Δούκαινα; plural: Doukai/Ducae, Δοῦκαι), from the Latin title '' dux'' ("leader", "general", Hellenized as 'ðouks'', is the name of a Byzan ...
–
Kamateroi.
Life and career
![Alexius I](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Alexius_I.jpg)
There are several scattered references to a "Gregory Kamateros" in documents and seals of the late 11th/early 12th century. Most scholars consider them to refer to the same person, with the notable exception of the historian
Vitalien Laurent
Vitalien Laurent (born Louis Philippe Olivier Laurent; Séné, 26 May 1896 – Paris, 21 November 1973) was a French priest and Byzantinist. He was editor of the journal '' Échos d'Orient'' (predecessor of the ''Revue des études byzantines'').
...
, who cast doubt on this identification.
According to the historian
Niketas Choniates
Niketas or Nicetas Choniates ( el, Νικήτας Χωνιάτης; c. 1155 – 1217), whose actual surname was Akominatos (Ἀκομινάτος), was a Byzantine Greek government official and historian – like his brother Michael Akominatos, wh ...
, Gregory Kamateros was of lowly and undistinguished birth. Nevertheless, he was distinguished by his great erudition, which was said to encompass all fields of knowledge. He first appears in a document of the year 1088, as a ''
logariastes ( gr, λογαριαστής, , accountant) was a type of financial official in the Byzantine Empire from the early 11th century onwards, with the task of controlling expenses.
The post is attested for the first time in 1012, and existed both with ...
'' (accountant) of the ''
genikon'' department. The same document also gives the name of his father as Basil. At the time of the failed conspiracy of
Nikephoros Diogenes
Nikephoros Diogenes ( el, Νικηφόρος Διογένης), Latinized as Nicephorus Diogenes, was presumably a junior Byzantine emperor from 1070–1071. He was born in 1069 to Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes and Empress Eudokia Makr ...
against
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...
() in 1094, he was a "recently appointed" secretary to the emperor, and participated in the interrogation of Diogenes.
A seal attests to his having held the office of governor, with the title of ''
praetor
Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...
'', of the joint
theme
Theme or themes may refer to:
* Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work
* Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos
* Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
s of the
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
and
Hellas. This is likely when, according to Choniates, he became rich from
tax farming
Farming or tax-farming is a technique of financial management in which the management of a variable revenue stream is assigned by legal contract to a third party and the holder of the revenue stream receives fixed periodic rents from the contract ...
in the provinces. The wealth he accumulated allowed him to marry an imperial relative, Irene Doukaina. Archbishop
Theophylact of Ohrid
Theophylact ( gr, Θεοφύλακτος, bg, Теофилакт; around 1055after 1107) was a Byzantine archbishop of Ohrid and commentator on the Bible.
Life
Theophylact was born in the mid-11th century at Euripus (Chalcis) in Euboea, at th ...
, who maintained friendly relations with Gregory and addressed five letters to him, implies that he was very influential at court; in a letter written , Theophylact congratulates Gregory on his promotion to the rank of ''
nobilissimus
''Nobilissimus'' (Latin for "most noble"), in Byzantine Greek ''nōbelissimos'' (Greek: νωβελίσσιμος),. was one of the highest imperial titles in the late Roman and Byzantine empires. The feminine form of the title was ''nobilissima' ...
'' and the position of ''
protasekretis The or ( gr, πρωτ σηκρῆτις), Latinized as or , was a senior official in the Byzantine bureaucracy. The title means "first ", illustrating his position as the head of the order of the , the senior class of imperial notaries.
The p ...
''.
The ''protasekretis'' was originally the head of the imperial chancery, but according to the historian
Paul Magdalino
Paul Magdalino FBA (born 10 May 1948) is Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Byzantine History in the University of St Andrews, professor of Byzantine history at Koç University, Istanbul; and a Fellow of the British Academy.
His research interests incl ...
, Gregory Kamateros may have been the first ''protasekretis'' to head the tribunal with which the office was chiefly associated later in the 12th century. Later, he was promoted to the rank of ''
sebastos
( grc-gre, σεβαστός, sebastós, venerable one, Augustus, ; plural , ) was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of . The female form of the title was (). It was revived as an honorific in the 11th-ce ...
'', and the position of ''
logothetes ton sekreton The ''logothetēs tōn sekretōn'' ( grc-gre, λογοθέτης τῶν σεκρέτων) was an official supervising all the ''sekreta'' (fiscal departments) of the Byzantine Empire during the Komnenian period. In the early 13th century, his offic ...
''. The latter post was a creation of Alexios I, originally tasked simply with coordinating the various government departments (''sekreta''), but which by the turn of the 12th century had established itself as a ''de facto'' prime minister. Indeed, the
monody
In music, monody refers to a solo vocal style distinguished by having a single melodic line and instrumental accompaniment. Although such music is found in various cultures throughout history, the term is specifically applied to Italian song of ...
written on the occasion of Gregory's funeral by the court poet
Theodore Prodromos
Theodore Prodromos or Prodromus ( el, Θεόδωρος Πρόδρομος; c. 1100 – c. 1165/70), probably also the same person as the so-called Ptochoprodromos (Πτωχοπρόδρομος "Poor Prodromos"), was a Byzantine Greek writer, well ...
portrays him as the virtual ruler of the empire.
After the accession of
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( gr, Ἱωάννης ὁ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs ho Komnēnos; 13 September 1087 – 8 April 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (), he ...
(), it appears that Gregory was sidelined for a while, as the government was headed by John's favourites, the ''
parakoimomenos
The ''parakoimōmenos'' ( el, παρακοιμώμενος, literally "the one who sleeps beside he emperor's chamber) was a Byzantine court position, usually reserved for eunuchs. The position's proximity to the emperors guaranteed its holders ...
'' John Komnenos and the ''
protovestiarios
''Protovestiarios'' ( el, πρωτοβεστιάριος, "first ''vestiarios''") was a high Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy, court position, originally reserved for Eunuch (court official), eunuchs. In the late B ...
'' Gregory Taronites. As the latter proved ineffective, Gregory Kamateros was recalled, but, as Magdalino remarks, probably not "in his full former capacity"; not only did he have to share the responsibility of government with the ''parakoimomenos'', but the ''
megas domestikos
The title of grand domestic ( grc-gre, μέγας δομέστικος, ''mégas doméstikos'') was given in the 11th–15th centuries to the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army, directly below the Byzantine Emperor. It evolved from the earl ...
''
John Axouch
John Axouch or Axouchos, also transliterated as Axuch ( el, , flourished circa 1087 – circa 1150) was the commander-in-chief (''megas domestikos'') of the Byzantine army during the reign of Emperor John II Komnenos (r. 1118–1143), and during ...
now dominated the court.
Towards the end of his life, both he and his wife Irene entered a monastery. The exact date of Gregory's death is unknown, but it is placed between 1126 and 1132 on account of a reference to the appearance of a
comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ar ...
in Prodromos' funeral monody. Another court poet,
Nicholas Kallikles Nicholas Kallikles ( gr, Νικόλαος Καλλικλῆς, Nikólaos Kalliklēs) was a prominent Greek physician and a leading court poet active in the Byzantine court in Constantinople during the reigns of Alexios I Komnenos () and John II Komn ...
, also wrote a poem on the occasion of Gregory's death.
Family
Gregory Kamateros married Irene Doukaina, probably a daughter of the ''
protostrator
''Prōtostratōr'' ( el, πρωτοστράτωρ) was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master. Its proximity to the imperial person led to a highly visible role in imperial ceremonies, and served as a springboard for ...
''
Michael Doukas and hence niece of Alexios I. Irene Doukaina outlived her husband, but her date of death is unknown. The union led to the emergence of the Doukas-Kamateros line, which held high office under the Komnenian emperors throughout the 12th century. Most of the couple's children are unknown. A son named Michael died young, and a contemporary Theodore Kamateros was also likely a son of the couple. The best known of Gregory's children are the high official
John Kamateros, and the high official and theologian
Andronikos Kamateros Andronikos Doukas Kamateros ( el, ) was a Byzantine aristocrat, senior official under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, and theologian, best known for his theological treatise ''Sacred Arsenal''.
Family and career
Born probably around 1110, Andronikos Ka ...
. The latter's son
Basil Doukas Kamateros Basil Doukas Kamateros ( el, )The surname "Doukas" appears only on his seal of office. was a Byzantine aristocrat and senior official.
Basil was the son of the official and theologian Andronikos Doukas Kamateros, and brother of Empress Euphrosyne ...
was also a high official, while his daughter
Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera
Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamaterina or better Kamatera ( el, Εὐφροσύνη Δούκαινα Καματερίνα ἢ Καματηρά, – 1211) was a Byzantine Empress by marriage to the Byzantine Emperor Alexios III Angelos.
Euphrosyne wa ...
became empress to
Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos ( gkm, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός Ἄγγελος, Alexios Komnēnos Angelos; 1211), Latinized as Alexius III Angelus, was Byzantine Emperor from March 1195 to 17/18 July 1203. He reigned under the name Alexios Komnen ...
().
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamateros, Gregory
11th-century births
12th-century deaths
11th-century Byzantine people
12th-century Byzantine people
Byzantine governors of Hellas
Byzantine governors of the Peloponnese
Logothetes
Gregory
Officials of Alexios I Komnenos
Sebastoi
Year of death unknown
Year of birth unknown
Nobilissimi