Hetaireia
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The Hetaireia (
Etymology and usage of the term
Hetaireia means 'the Company', echoing the
The most important such corps was the 'Imperial Hetaireia' (βασιλική ἑταιρεία, basilike hetaireia), composed chiefly of foreigners, which formed part of the Byzantine professional standing army alongside the tagmata in the 9th–12th centuries.[2] The term hetaireia was also applied to the smaller bodyguards of thematic military commanders (strategoi), headed by a count (κόμης τῆς ἑταιρείας, komes tes hetaireias),[3] and from the 13th century on, it was employed in a generic sense for the armed retinues of magnates, bound by oath to their master.[2]
Imperial Hetaireia
The exact origin, role, and structure of the Imperial Hetaireia are unclear.[4] The term first appears in the early 9th century, as the bodyguard of Emperor Leo V the Armenian (r. 813–820) on campaign.[4] It is unclear, however, whether the usage is technical, referring to a specific unit, or simply as a term for bodyguard; it is not until the reign of Theophilos (r. 829–842) that the unit is definitely attested.[5] John B. Bury theorized that it was the evolution of the earlier Foederati,[6] but this supposition was rejected by John Haldon as the two units are mentioned as co-existing in some sources.[7] According to Haldon, it likely began as part of the tagma of the Vigla—which also functioned as a palace guard in its early history[8]—before becoming an independent unit.[9]
The bulk of the Hetaireia was apparently composed of foreigners (ethnikoi), and contemporary accounts list Khazars, Pharganoi,
The Hetaireia of the 9th–10th centuries was divided in several units: three or four according to the sources, distinguished by their epithets and each, at least originally, under is respective hetaireiarches (ἑταιρειάρχης).[13]
The senior unit was the 'Great Hetaireia' (μεγάλη ἑταιρεία, megale hetaireia), under the megas hetaireiarches, who ranked as the senior of the military officials known as
A 'Middle Hetaireia' (μέση ἑταιρεία, mese hetaireia) is attested in sources, and the possible existence of a 'Lesser Hetaireia' (μικρὰ ἑταιρεία, mikra hetaireia) is implied by the reference to
By the early 10th century,[21] honorary posts in the Hetaireia were prestigious appointments that could be purchased by native Byzantine officials, connected to an annual stipend (roga) paid by the imperial treasury to the holder. A post in the 'Great Hetaireia' cost a minimum of 16 litrai of gold and paid a roga of 40 nomismata, with one additional litra for each additional seven nomismata; a post in the 'Middle Hetaireia' a minimum of ten litrai, with a roga of 20 nomismata; and in each of the Chazaroi or Pharganoi companies, a minimum of seven, with a roga of 12 nomismata.[16][22] According to Haldon, this may be evidence that the Hetaireia "was developing already into a show force, and eventually no longer served as a fighting part of the imperial guard".[23]
As the 10th century progressed, a tendency of amalgamation of the various units into a single command becomes evident, as the 'Middle Hetaireia' seems to have been placed under the megas hetaireiarches.
The post of [megas] hetaireiarches also survived, and, detached from its military duties, remained an important court position: it was held by several influential palace
See also
- Hetair-, a Greek linguistic root
- Somatophylakes
Footnotes
- ^ The meaning of the term Pharganoi (Φαργάνοι) has been the subject of debate among modern scholars. It could denote their origin from the area of Central Asia around the Fergana Valley, or it could be a misspelling of Pharangoi, i.e. Varangians.[2]
References
- ^ Hamilton, Richard. "Bryn Mawr Classical Review 02.05.13". O. Murray, Sympotica: A Symposium on the Symposion. Bryn Mawr. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d ODB, "Hetaireia" (A. Kazhdan), p. 925.
- ^ Treadgold 1995, pp. 100–105.
- ^ a b Oikonomides 2001, p. 12.
- ^ Haldon 1984, p. 520.
- ^ Bury 1911, pp. 106–107.
- ^ Haldon 1984, pp. 246, 520.
- ^ Haldon 1984, pp. 323–324.
- ^ Haldon 1984, p. 252.
- ^ Oikonomides 2001, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Kühn 1991, p. 68.
- ^ Kühn 1991, pp. 68, 105.
- ^ ODB, "Hetaireia" (A. Kazhdan), p. 925; "Hetaireiarches" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 925–926.
- ^ Bury 1911, p. 106.
- ^ a b ODB, "Hetaireiarches" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 925–926.
- ^ a b Bury 1911, p. 108.
- ^ a b Bury 1911, p. 107.
- ^ a b Treadgold 1995, p. 110.
- ^ Bury 1911, pp. 107–108.
- ^ Oikonomides 2001, pp. 12, 27.
- ^ Haldon 1984, p. 328.
- ^ Oikonomides 2001, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Haldon 1984, p. 329.
- ^ Magdalino 2002, p. 321.
Sources
- OCLC 1046639111.
- ISBN 3-7749-2004-4.
- ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
- Kühn, Hans-Joachim (1991). Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert: Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata (in German). Vienna: Fassbaender Verlag. ISBN 3-9005-38-23-9.
- ISBN 0-521-52653-1.
- ISSN 1105-1639. Archived from the originalon 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
- Treadgold, Warren T. (1995). Byzantium and Its Army, 284–1081. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3163-2.