{{Short description|Roman imperial bodyguards}} [[File:Signet Ring of John, Imperial Spatharios MET LC 1992 239 s8.jpg|thumb|right|Gold signet ring of John, imperial ''spatharios'', 10th century]] The '''''spatharii''''' or '''''spatharioi''''' (singular: {{langx|la|spatharius}}; {{langx|el|σπαθάριος}}, literally "spatha-bearer") were a class of Late Roman imperial bodyguards in the court in Constantinople in the 5th–6th centuries, later becoming a purely honorary dignity in the Byzantine Empire.
==History== [[File:Chevalier Auguste de Henikstein - Bojars du premier rang. Grand Chancelier. Le Prince. Grand Spathar (cropped).jpg|thumb|A Grand Spătar of Wallachia, 1827]] Originally, the term was probably applied to both private and imperial bodyguards.<ref name="ODB">{{harvnb|Kazhdan|1991|pp=1935–1936}}.</ref> The original imperial ''spatharioi'' were probably or later became also the eunuch ''cubicularii'' (Greek: ''koubikoularioi''), members of the ''sacrum cubiculum'' (the imperial "sacred chamber") charged with military duties. They are attested from the reign of Emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450), where the eunuch Chrysaphius held the post.<ref name="ODB"/> The existence of the specific title of ''spatharokoubikoularios'' for eunuchs in 532 probably suggests the existence by then of other, non-eunuch, ''spatharioi'' in imperial service. The various generals and provincial governors also maintained military attendants called ''spatharioi'', whilst those of the emperor were distinguished with the prefix ''basilikoi'' ("imperial ones").<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1911|p=112}}.</ref> The officer leading the imperial ''spatharioi'' held the title ''prōtospatharios'' ("first ''spatharios''"), which became a separate dignity probably in the late 7th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1911|p=27}}.</ref>
By the early 8th century, these titles had lost their original military connotations and become honorific titles. The title of ''spatharios'' ranked initially quite high, being awarded for instance by Emperor Justinian II (r. 685–695) to his friend and future emperor Leo III the Isaurian (r. 717–741).<ref name="ODB"/> It gradually declined, however, and in the ''Klētorologion'' of 899, it occupies the seventh-highest place in the hierarchy of ranks for non-eunuchs, above the ''hypatos'' and below the ''spatharokandidatos''.<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1911|pp=22, 26}}.</ref> According to the ''Klētorologion'', the insignia of the dignity was a gold-hilted sword.<ref>{{harvnb|Bury|1911|p=22}}.</ref> At the same time, the term ''oikeiakos spatharios'' still designated a bodyguard of the imperial ''oikos'' ("household"), as distinct from the ''basilikoi spatharioi'' who now were the holders of the honorary dignity.<ref name="ODB"/> The term ceased to be used in these contexts after circa 1075, and by the time Anna Komnene wrote her ''Alexiad'' in the early 12th century, a ''spatharios'' was held to be completely insignificant.<ref name="ODB"/>
==Other occurrences== * In the ''Lex Alemannorum'' (79.7), a ''spatharius'' is a swordsmith. * In medieval Moldavia, the ''Spătar'' was the keeper of the royal sword and bludgeon, commander of the cavalry and second-in-command of the army after the voivode.<ref>{{DEX|spătar}}</ref> * Ælfric of Eynsham glosses ''spatharius'' as "sword-bearer": "''swyrd-bora. Id est, Ensifer.''" * In the 12th century, the ''Milites Ordinis Militaris S. Jacobi de la Spatha'', a Portuguese chivalric order, were known as ''Spatharii''.
==See also== *Rynda *Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==Sources== * {{The Imperial Administrative System of the Ninth Century|ref={{harvid|Bury|1911}} }} * {{ODB | last=Kazhdan | first=Alexander | authorlink=Alexander Kazhdan | title=Spatharios | pages=1935–1936 }}
==Further reading== *{{cite book|last=du Fresne|first=Carolo|chapter=Spatharius (t. 7, col. 545a)|title=Glossarium Mediae et Infimae Latinitatis|location=Niort|publisher=L. Favre|year=1883–1887|language=French|url=http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/Spatharius}}
Category:Byzantine court titles Category:Guards units of the Byzantine Empire Category:Medieval bodyguards