Logothetes tou stratiotikou


The , rendered in English as the Logothete of the Military or Military Logothete, was a Byzantine imperial official in charge of the pay and provisioning of the Byzantine army. The office appears in the late 7th century and is mentioned until the 14th century.

History and functions

This duty was originally exercised by the praetorian prefecture, but the military chest was eventually detached and formed as a separate . The first attested was Julian, the "most glorious and " in 680.
The exact sphere of duties of the Military Logothete is somewhat obscure. The only direct evidence as to his functions comes from the De Ceremoniis of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos, according to which he oversaw the imposition and exemption from taxes on the households of soldiers. It is also known that by the 11th century, he exercised some juridical functions. Several scholars have argued that the Military Logothete supervised military affairs in general, such as the levying of troops, the construction of fortifications and the overall military expenditure. This hypothesis, however, cannot be proved.

Subordinate officials

The subordinates of the were:
  • The of the , the senior subaltern officials of the department.
  • The of the and the , supervising the financial affairs of the thematic troops and the imperial, respectively.
  • A number of , whose exact function is unknown.
  • The , officials responsible for the distribution of pay to the troops.
  • A number of under a.
  • A number of .

List of known

Rodolphe Guilland also lists some 6th-century officials, who served under Justinian I and were in charge of the army pay chest, as predecessors of the later office of : Alexander "Scissors", active in Greece and Italy in ; the and former praetorian prefect Archelaus, who accompanied Belisarius as his quartermaster in the Vandalic War; and the senator Symmachus, who was sent to Africa as praetorian prefect and quartermaster for Germanus in 536–539.