''Zōstē patrikía'' ( gr, ζωστὴ πατρικία) was a
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 ...
court title
A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
reserved exclusively for the woman who was the chief attendant and assistant to the
Empress
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. A very high title, its holder ranked as the first woman after the Empress herself in the imperial court. The title is attested from the 9th century until the 12th century, but only a handful of its holders are known.
History
The title means "girded lady-patrician", often translated into
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
as "
Mistress of the Robes
The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom.
Formerly responsible for the queen consort's/regnant's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post had the responsibility for arranging the rota ...
", and was used for high-ranking court ladies who were attached to the Byzantine empresses as their ladies of honour. Its origin or date of institution are unclear.
Disregarding a clearly anachronistic reference to
Antonina, the wife of the great 6th-century general
Belisarius
Belisarius (; el, Βελισάριος; The exact date of his birth is unknown. – 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under the emperor Justinian I. He was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean terri ...
, as being a ''zostē patrikia'', the title is first attested in for
Theoktiste
Theoktiste ( el, Θεοκτίστη), also known as Phlorina (Φλώρινα), was the mother of the 9th-century Byzantine empress Theodora, the wife of Emperor Theophilos.
Life
Theoktiste Phlorina was the spouse of Marinos, an officer in the ...
, the mother of Empress
Theodora
Theodora is a given name of Greek origin, meaning "God's gift".
Theodora may also refer to:
Historical figures known as Theodora
Byzantine empresses
* Theodora (wife of Justinian I) ( 500 – 548), saint by the Orthodox Church
* Theodora o ...
.
The title is last attested in literary sources (the ''
Skylitzes Chronicle
The ''Madrid Skylitzes'' is a richly illustrated illuminated manuscript of the ''Synopsis of Histories'' ( el, Σύνοψις Ἱστοριῶν, ), by John Skylitzes, which covers the reigns of the Byzantine emperors from the death of Nicep ...
'') in 1018, when it was conferred to
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, the former Empress of
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, and finally in a series of lead seals dated to the late 11th century (see
below). It disappears thereafter, along with many other titles of the middle Byzantine period, following the reforms of 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 ...
().
Status and functions
![Porphyrogenetus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Porphyrogenetus.jpg)
In Philotheos's ''
Klētorologion'' of 899, the dignity of the ''zostē patrikia'' is placed very high in the imperial order of precedence, coming before the ''
magistros
The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early cent ...
'' and after the ''
kouropalatēs
''Kouropalatēs'', Latinized as ''curopalates'' or ''curopalata'' ( el, κουροπαλάτης, from lat, cura palatii "he one incharge of the palace"). and Anglicized as curopalate, was a Byzantine court title, one of the highest from the tim ...
''. Her exceptional status is further illustrated by the fact that she was one of only six dignitaries who dined at the imperial table—along with the
Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
, the ''
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
'', the ''
nōbelissimos'', the ''kouropalatēs'' and the ''
basileopatōr''—and by the prominent role she played in imperial ceremonies, especially those revolving around the Empress, such as the coronation of an empress or the birth of a child. Although it appears that, in common with the other supreme dignities with which it is associated, there was a single holder of the dignity at each time, at the reception of
Olga of Kiev
Olga ( orv, Вольга, Volĭga; (); russian: Ольга (); uk, Ольга (). Old Norse: '; Lithuanian language, Lith: ''Alge''; Christian name: ''Elena''; c. 890–925 – 969) was a regent of Kievan Rus' for her son Sviatoslav I of Kiev, ...
, the plural form ''zōstai'' is used, indicating the presence of at least two. This may be accounted for by the fact that at times there were several empresses, and that each one must have had a ''zōstē'' in her particular service.
The ''zōstē patrikia'' functioned as the chief attendant to the empress (to whom she was usually related) and the head of the women's court (the ''sekreton tōn gynaikōn''), which consisted mostly of the wives of high-ranking officials. Indeed, hers was the only specifically female dignity: other women bore the feminine versions of their husbands' titles. A ''zōstē patrikia'' is therefore, in
John B. Bury
John Bagnell Bury (; 16 October 1861 – 1 June 1927) was an Anglo-Irish historian, classical scholar, Medieval Roman historian and philologist. He objected to the label "Byzantinist" explicitly in the preface to the 1889 edition of his ''La ...
's words, "the only lady who was πατρικία in her own right", and not to be confused with a simple ''patrikia'', who was the spouse or widow of a ''
patrikios
The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after ...
''. Indeed, the French scholar
Rodolphe Guilland Rodolphe Joseph Guilland (Lons-le-Saunier, 1888 – Saint-Marcellin, Isère, 5 October 1981) was a French Byzantinist.
Life
Born in 1888, he completed his thesis on Nikephoros Gregoras (a biography in 1926, and his edited correspondence in 1927), a ...
points out that the title itself appears to be a compound one, with the sources sometimes calling it "the ''zōstē'' and ''patrikia''", indicating that the noble title of ''patrikia'' was added to the court dignity of ''zōstē''.
The ''zōstē'' was raised to the rank in an elaborate investiture ceremony in the
Theotokos of the Pharos
The Church of the Virgin of the Pharos ( el, Θεοτόκος τοῦ Φάρου, ''Theotokos tou Pharou'') was a Byzantine chapel built in the southern part of the Great Palace of Constantinople, and named after the tower of the lighthouse (''pha ...
palace chapel, which is recorded in the ''
De Ceremoniis'' (I.50) of Emperor
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Kar ...
(). The ceremony ended in the
Chrysotriklinos
The Chrysotriklinos ( el, Χρυσοτρίκλινος, "golden reception hall", cf. ''triclinium''), Latinized as Chrysotriclinus or Chrysotriclinium, was the main reception and ceremonial hall of the Great Palace of Constantinople from its con ...
audience hall, where she received from the emperor's hands the
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
tablets that were the particular insignium of her office. She then visited the
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
, where the tablets were blessed by the Patriarch, before making her way to the
Magnaura The Magnaura (Medieval el, , possibly from Latin: ''Magna Aula'', "Great Hall") was a large building in Byzantine Constantinople located next to the Great Palace. It was situated to the east of the Augustaion, close to the Hagia Sophia, and next ...
, where she received the congratulations of the women of the court and the spouses of the high dignitaries. Finally, she returned to the Pharos chapel, where she deposited an offering of 70 ''
nomismata
''Nomisma'' ( el, νόμισμα) was the ancient Greek word for "money" and is derived from nomos (νόμος) anything assigned, a usage, custom, law, ordinance".The King James Version New Testament Greek Lexicon; Strong's Number:3546
The te ...
'', before retiring to her apartments. The distinctive dress of the ''zōstē'', which probably gave the title her name, was the broad belt or ''
loros
The ''loros'' ( gr, λῶρος, lōros) was a long, narrow and embroidered cloth, which was wrapped around the torso and dropped over the left hand. It was one of the most important and distinctive parts of the most formal and ceremonial type o ...
'' that she put on at the investiture ceremony. A descendant of the ancient Roman
consular
A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
''trabea'', the golden ''lōros'' was the "most prestigious imperial insignium", and was also worn by the
Byzantine emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
and a select few of his highest dignitaries such as the
Eparch of Constantinople
The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and ...
or the ''
magistroi''. A less likely origin of the ''zōstē'' may derive from her position as chief lady-in-waiting to the empress, among whose duties was to supervise her dress, or, as the ''
Patria of Constantinople The ''Patria'' of Constantinople ( el, Πάτρια Κωνσταντινουπόλεως), also regularly referred to by the Latin name ''Scriptores originum Constantinopolitarum'' ("writers on the origins of Constantinople"), are a Byzantine collec ...
'' puts it, to "gird" the empress.
The ''zōstē'' held her title for life, even after the death of an empress she had been appointed to serve. In addition, like most Byzantine titles, the dignity could be conferred as a simple honour without the requirement of service, as was most likely the case with Theoktiste and
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, the widow of Tsar
Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria
Ivan Vladislav ( cu, Їѡаннъ Владиславъ; bg, Иван/Йоан Владислав; died February 1018) ruled as emperor (tsar) of the First Bulgarian Empire from August or September 1015 to February 1018. The year of his birth is ...
.
List of known holders
![Wedding of Miroslava and Ashot Taronites](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Wedding_of_Miroslava_and_Ashot_Taronites.jpg)
Despite the prominence of their title, the sources mention but rarely the ''zōstai''. As Rodolphe Guilland writes, "confined to the women's quarters of the empress, they hardly had the opportunity to become known. Certainly the women's quarters were sometimes a hotbed of intrigue and scandal; but the noise of these intrigues and these scandals hardly crossed the walls of the
Great Palace."
* ''
Antonina, wife of
Belisarius
Belisarius (; el, Βελισάριος; The exact date of his birth is unknown. – 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under the emperor Justinian I. He was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean terri ...
'' (anachronistic reference from the ''
Patria of Constantinople The ''Patria'' of Constantinople ( el, Πάτρια Κωνσταντινουπόλεως), also regularly referred to by the Latin name ''Scriptores originum Constantinopolitarum'' ("writers on the origins of Constantinople"), are a Byzantine collec ...
'').
*
Theoktiste
Theoktiste ( el, Θεοκτίστη), also known as Phlorina (Φλώρινα), was the mother of the 9th-century Byzantine empress Theodora, the wife of Emperor Theophilos.
Life
Theoktiste Phlorina was the spouse of Marinos, an officer in the ...
, mother of Empress Theodora, the wife of Emperor
Theophilos ().
* Anastasia, known only through a single reference in the late 10th-century ''
Life of Basil the Younger''
hagiography
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...
. She might be identifiable with Anastaso, the daughter of the ''patrikios'' Adralestos, who later married into the
Maleinos Maleinos ( el, Μαλεΐνος) was the surname of a Byzantine Greek family, first attested in the 9th century, which rose to be amongst the most important and powerful members of the Anatolian aristocracy (the '' dynatoi'') in the 10th century, ...
family and was mother to
Constantine Maleinos Constantine Maleinos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Μαλεΐνος) was a prominent Byzantine general of the mid-10th century.
Biography
Constantine was born in the late 9th or 10th century, probably in his family's estates in Cappadocia. His fa ...
and
Michael Maleinos
Saint Michael Maleinos ( el, Μιχαήλ Μαλεΐνος, –12 July 961) was a Byzantine monk who commanded great respect among Christians of Asia Minor. He was the brother of general Constantine Maleinos and uncle of Nikephoros Phokas, who ...
.
*
Olga of Kiev
Olga ( orv, Вольга, Volĭga; (); russian: Ольга (); uk, Ольга (). Old Norse: '; Lithuanian language, Lith: ''Alge''; Christian name: ''Elena''; c. 890–925 – 969) was a regent of Kievan Rus' for her son Sviatoslav I of Kiev, ...
is sometimes considered as having been created a ''zōstē'' during her visit to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
*
Miroslava of Bulgaria
Miroslava ( bg, Мирослава) was one of the daughters of tsar Samuil of Bulgaria and Agatha. Princess Miroslava fell in love with the Byzantine noble captive Ashot Taronites, who was of Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, fr ...
, daughter of Emperor
Samuel of Bulgaria
Samuel (also Samuil; bg, Самуил, ; mk, Самоил/Самуил, ; Old Church Slavonic: Самоилъ; died October 6, 1014) was the Tsar (''Emperor'') of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 977 to 997, he was a ...
(), who defected to Byzantium along with her husband,
Ashot Taronites
Ashot Taronites ( gr, Ἀσώτιος Ταρωνίτης, Asōtios Tarōnitēs; hy, Աշոտ, Ašot; ) was a Byzantine nobleman. Captured by the Bulgarians in 995, he was released in 996 and married to Miroslava, daughter of Tsar Samuel of Bulgar ...
.
* Empress
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, wife of Emperor
Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria
Ivan Vladislav ( cu, Їѡаннъ Владиславъ; bg, Иван/Йоан Владислав; died February 1018) ruled as emperor (tsar) of the First Bulgarian Empire from August or September 1015 to February 1018. The year of his birth is ...
(). She was conferred the title after she fled to the Byzantine court following the murder of her husband.
* Khousousa, wife of
Seneqerim-Hovhannes, last ruler of the
Kingdom of Vaspurakan
The Kingdom of Vaspurakan (; also transliterated as Vasbouragan from Western Armenian) was a Middle Ages, medieval Armenians, Armenian kingdom centered on Lake Van, located in what is now eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. It was named after ...
prior to the Byzantine annexation of his realm in 1022. She is known through a seal mentioning her as "''zōstē'' and mother of David the ''magistros''".
* Irene, attested only through an 11th-century seal which describes her as a
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
.
* Maria Melissene, attested in a seal dated to . It has been suggested that she might be the mother of
Nikephoros Melissenos
Nikephoros Melissenos ( el, Νικηφόρος Μελισσηνός, – 17 November 1104), Latinized as Nicephorus Melissenus, was a Byzantine general and aristocrat. Of distinguished lineage, he served as a governor and general in the Balkans ...
, the brother-in-law of 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 ...
.
* Anna Radene, a close friend of
Michael Psellos
Michael Psellos or Psellus ( grc-gre, Μιχαὴλ Ψελλός, Michaḗl Psellós, ) was a Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to hav ...
, probably .
* Helena Tornikine, "''zōstē'' and ''
kouropalatissa''", attested in a seal dated to .
References
Bibliography
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{{refend, 2
Byzantine court titles
Ladies-in-waiting