# Apocrisiarius

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{{Short description|Historical diplomatic position}}
{{italics}}
An '''''apocrisiarius''''', the [Latinized](/source/Romanization) form of '''''apokrisiarios''''' ({{langx|el|{{lang|grc|ἀποκρισιάριος}}}}), sometimes [Anglicized](/source/Anglicization) as '''apocrisiary''', was a high [diplomatic](/source/diplomacy) representative during [Late Antiquity](/source/Late_Antiquity) and the early [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages). The corresponding (purist) [Latin](/source/Latin_language) term was '''''responsalis''''' ("he who answers").<ref name="ODB">{{harvnb|Kazhdan|1991|p=136}}.</ref> The title was used by [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine_Empire) [ambassadors](/source/Byzantine_diplomacy), as well as by the representatives of [bishop](/source/bishop)s to the secular authorities.<ref>{{harvnb|Kazhdan|1991|pp=75, 136}}; {{harvnb|Parry|Hinnells|1999|p=35}}.</ref> The closest modern equivalent is a papal [nuncio](/source/nuncio); the title ''apocrisiarius'' is also still employed by the [Anglican Church](/source/Anglican_Church).

==Byzantine ''apocrisiarii''==
An ''apocrisiarius'' was a [cleric](/source/cleric) who served as the representative (also described as [legate](/source/Papal_legate), a less precise term) of a [patriarch](/source/patriarch) or other bishop to the Byzantine imperial court of [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople). The office existed since the 5th century, but was institutionalized by [law](/source/law) only under Emperor [Justinian I](/source/Justinian_I) (r. 527–565). Several of the more important ecclesiastical sees maintained permanent ''apocrisiarii'' in the imperial capital.<ref name="ODB"/> The most important of these were the [papal ''apocrisiarii''](/source/papal_apocrisiarius) (circa 452 till 743). The title was also used for the representative of a [metropolitan archbishop](/source/metropolitan_archbishop) at the court of his "territorial" patriarch in either Constantinople, [Alexandria](/source/Alexandria), [Antioch](/source/Antioch), or [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem) and for secular officials carrying correspondence of the [Byzantine emperor](/source/Byzantine_emperor).<ref>{{harvnb|Parry|Hinnells|1999|p=35}}.</ref>

==Frankish ''apocrisiarii''==
From the reign of [Charlemagne](/source/Charlemagne) (r. 768–814), the court of the [Frankish](/source/Franks) king/emperor had clerical members styled ''apocrisiarii''. However, they were only royal [archchaplain](/source/archchaplain)s decorated with the title of the ancient papal envoys, since they did not perform any diplomatic duties.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

==Anglican Church==
In the modern [Anglican Communion](/source/Anglican_Communion), representatives of the [Archbishop of Canterbury](/source/Archbishop_of_Canterbury) to various churches are styled '''''apocrisiarioi'''''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Diocese in Europe |title=Partners - Apocrisiaroi |url=http://www.europe.anglican.org/partners/partners_apocrisiarioi.htm |publisher=Diocese in Europe |date=20 May 2011 |access-date=10 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206045108/http://www.europe.anglican.org/partners/partners_apocrisiarioi.htm |archive-date=6 February 2012 }}</ref>

==References==

===Citations===
{{reflist|2}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Kazhdan|editor-first=Alexander Petrovich|editor-link=Alexander Kazhdan|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|location=New York, New York and Oxford, United Kingdom|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1991|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3u5RAAACAAJ|isbn=978-0-19-504652-6}}
*{{cite book|last1=Parry|first1=Ken|last2=Hinnells|first2=John R.|title=The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity|location=Malden, Massachusetts|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=1999|isbn=0-631-18966-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WSe1QgAACAAJ}}
{{refend|2}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last=Ekonomou|first=Andrew J.|year=2007|title=Byzantine Rome and the Greek Popes: Eastern Influences on Rome and the Papacy from Gregory the Great to Zacharias, A.D. 590-752|location=Lanham, Maryland and Plymouth, UK|publisher=Lexington Books (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.)|isbn=978-0-7391-1978-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DWH3CDxSqpgC}}
*{{cite book|last1=Larousse|first1=Pierre|last2=Augé|first2=Claude|title=Petit Larousse Illustré: Nouveau Dictionnaire Encyclopédique|location=Paris, France|publisher=Librairie Larousse|year=1906|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dRMiAQAAIAAJ}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01600a.htm Catholic Encyclopaedia - Apocrisiarius]

Category:Diplomats by role
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Category:Ecclesiastical titles
Category:Foreign relations of the Byzantine Empire
Category:Christian terminology

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Apocrisiarius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocrisiarius) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocrisiarius?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.