''Cubicularius'', Hellenized as ''koubikoularios'' ( gr, κουβικουλάριος), was a title used for the

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...

chamberlains of the imperial palace in the later

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

and in the

Byzantine Empire 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 ...

. The feminine version, used for the

ladies-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

of the empresses, was ''koubikoularia'' (κουβικουλαρία).

History

The term derives from their service in the ''sacrum cubiculum'', the emperor's "sacred bedchamber". In the late Roman period, the ''cubicularii'' or ''koubikoularioi'' were numerous: according to John Malalas, 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 ...

's retinue numbered as many as 4,000 '' patrikioi'' and ''koubikoularioi''.. They were placed under the command of the ''

praepositus sacri cubiculi The ''praepositus sacri cubiculi'' (Latin: "provost of the sacred bedchamber", in gr, πραιπόσιτος τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου κοιτῶνος, praipositos tou eusebestatou koitōnos) was one of the senior palace offices in the L ...

'' and the '' primicerius sacri cubiculi'', while the other palace servants came either under the '' castrensis sacri palatii'' or the ''

magister officiorum 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 ...

''.. There were also special ''cubicularii''/''koubikoularioi'' for the empress (sometimes including female ''koubikoulariai''), and the office was introduced into the

Roman Church Holy Roman Church, Roman Church, Church of Rome or Church in Rome may refer to: * The Diocese of Rome or the Holy See * The Latin Church * Churches of Rome (buildings) In historical contexts ''Roman Church'' may also refer to: * The Catholic Chur ...

as well, probably under

Pope Leo I Pope Leo I ( 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great, was bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death. Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo's papacy "was undoubtedly one of the most important in the Church's history." Leo was ...

. In Byzantium, they played a very important role, holding senior palace offices such as '' parakoimōmenos'' or the '' epi tēs trapezēs'', but also served in posts in the central financial departments, as provincial administrators and sometimes even as generals. Gradually, in the 7th-8th centuries, the eunuchs of the imperial bedchamber proper (in Greek known as the , '' asilikoskoitōn'') were separated from the other ''koubikoularioi'' and, distinguished as the ''koitōnitai'' (), came under the authority of the ''parakoimōmenos''. At the same time, the imperial wardrobe ('' basilikon vestiarion'') and its officials also became a separate department under the '' prōtovestiarios''. The remainder continued as the "''koubikoularioi'' of the ''kouboukleion''" (), still under the ''praepositus'' (Greek: , ''praipositos tou eusebestatou koitōnos'' in Greek), with the ''primicerius'' (, ''primikērios tou kouboukleiou'') continuing as his chief aide. The office was eventually abandoned by the Byzantines, but it is not clear when: Nikolaos Oikonomides suggested the latter half of the 11th century, but

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), ...

supported its continued existence until the early 13th century. By the 9th century, aside from its general use denoting a eunuch palace servant, ''koubikoularios'' had also acquired a more technical meaning as a grade or dignity in the Byzantine palace hierarchy: according to the '' Klētorologion'' of 899, the rank of ''koubikoularios'' was the second-lowest among those reserved for the eunuchs, coming after the '' spatharokoubikoularios'' and before the '' nipsistiarios''. Again according to the ''Klētorologion'', the distinctive insignia of the rank were a ''kamision'' (an over-cape similar to the '' paenula'') edged with

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, ...

, and a ''paragaudion'' (tunic)..

References

Sources

* * {{ODB , last=Kazhdan , first=Alexander , authorlink=Alexander Kazhdan , title = Koubikoularios , page = 1154 Ancient Roman titles Byzantine court titles Byzantine palace offices Catholic ecclesiastical titles Byzantine titles and offices reserved for eunuchs

History

See also

References

Sources