Spatharokandidatos

History

The title was created as a portmanteau of the titles grc and grc, both of which were types of palace guards in the 4th–6th centuries. The earliest references to the title occur in the History of Sebeos and in a letter by Pope Gregory II to Emperor Leo III the Isaurian (). John B. Bury accepted a creation in the early 7th century, but the title is clearly attested only from the early 9th century on. In the 9th-century lists of precedence (Taktika), the dignity ranks below that of grc and above that of grc among the dignities intended for 'bearded men' (i.e. non-eunuchs). Its distinctive insigne (grc) was a golden chain (grc) worn around the chest.

The dignity was not given to eunuchs, for whom the corresponding dignity was that of grc. Judging from sigillographic evidence, the dignity was associated mostly with mid-level ranks, such as grc and lower judges. In the lists of offices known as the Taktika, the dignity corresponds to specific positions in the lower tier of the senior civil and military hierarchy, such as those of grc (senior secretary), grc (commander of a frontier district), grc (deputy commander) of a grc, or grc (divisional commander) of a grc. The last attested mention of the title is in 1094, and it was dropped from use at the latest in the 12th century.

In popular culture

The title is rarely encountered in popular culture, but in Season 3, Episode 3 of the historical drama series Vikings: Valhalla, the characters representing the Byzantine general Georgios Maniakes and the Viking Harald Sigurdsson grc are depicted receiving it as reward for a victory in Sicily. Hardrada is played by Leo Suter, and Maniakes is played by Florian Munteanu.

References

Sources

References

1. {{harvnb. Kazhdan. 1991
2. Vikings: Valhalla (2022–2024) Full Cast & Crew. IMDB, Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11311302/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm retrieved 12 July 2024.