Kephale (Byzantine Empire)
Encyclopedia
In the late Byzantine Empire
, the term kephalē was used to denote local and provincial governors.
It entered use in the second half of the 13th century, and was derived from the colloquial language. Consequently, it never became an established title or rank of the Byzantine imperial hierarchy
, but remained a descriptive term. In essence, the kephalē replaced the Komnenian-era doux
as the civil and military governor of a territorial administrative unit, known as a katepanikion, but also termed a kephalatikion. In size, these provinces were small compared to the earlier themata, and could range from a few villages
surrounding the kephalēs seat (a kastron, "fortress"), to an entire island
. This arrangement was also adopted by the Second Bulgarian Empire
(as , kefalia) and Serbian Empire
(as , kefalija).
In the 14th century, superior kephalai were appointed (katholikai kephalai, "universal heads") overseeing a group of provinces under their respective [merikai] kephalai ("[partial] heads"). The former were usually kin of the Byzantine emperor or members of the senior aristocratic clans. With the increasing decentralization of the Empire and the creation of appanage
s in the form of semi-independent despotates, these posts vanished by the late 14th century.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, the term kephalē was used to denote local and provincial governors.
It entered use in the second half of the 13th century, and was derived from the colloquial language. Consequently, it never became an established title or rank of the Byzantine imperial hierarchy
Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy
The Byzantine Empire had a complex system of aristocracy and bureaucracy, which was inherited from the Roman Empire. At the apex of the pyramid stood the Emperor, sole ruler and divinely ordained, but beneath him a multitude of officials and court functionaries operated the administrative...
, but remained a descriptive term. In essence, the kephalē replaced the Komnenian-era doux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
as the civil and military governor of a territorial administrative unit, known as a katepanikion, but also termed a kephalatikion. In size, these provinces were small compared to the earlier themata, and could range from a few villages
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
surrounding the kephalēs seat (a kastron, "fortress"), to an entire island
Aegean Islands
The Aegean Islands are the group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south, those of Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos to the southeast...
. This arrangement was also adopted by the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
(as , kefalia) and Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
(as , kefalija).
In the 14th century, superior kephalai were appointed (katholikai kephalai, "universal heads") overseeing a group of provinces under their respective [merikai] kephalai ("[partial] heads"). The former were usually kin of the Byzantine emperor or members of the senior aristocratic clans. With the increasing decentralization of the Empire and the creation of appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
s in the form of semi-independent despotates, these posts vanished by the late 14th century.