TL;DR "Landed" Byzantine aristocrats did not rule in their own right as the lands they were appointed to govern, defend, and tax, were public property. In order to utilize public property for your own needs, you needed to participate in local military tenure and agree to bind your children to do the same. "Unlanded" Byzantine aristocrats usually were part of a family making bank off of large privately-held rural estates or collecting dues/rent off an estate in a more urban area. Both would make up the core of the officialdom appointed to high-ranking posts in the bureaucracy (administrative/military offices in Constantinople or the themes) or the Byzantine court as they could afford the best education and often started their careers in the elite regiments.
Implementing "landless" aristocrats (similar to landed English gentry, titleless of noble titles but not truly landless);
Implementing landed aristocrats;
"Landed" in the sense that the office they are appointed to is tied to 3 separate administrations under their ultimate authority. These aristocrats would be highly educated and form the core of the officialdom for the theme system as they would be appointed to the highest administrative (fiscal/civil/judicial) or military posts. I can imagine that Dynatoi families would pool together their influence to get the Emperor to appoint more of their relatives to the officialdom, possibly through bribes.
Being appointed to a landedtitle office and having the Emperor entitled to revoke dismiss at will without much objection (other than the Dynatoi family of the officeholder if they happened to be part of one) and should be inherently distinct from owning grants of landed titles (enfeoffment), holding land in tenancy, or being appointed as a representative of royal power over an area subject to have its borders changed but also typically being appointed for life.
There should be around 8 types of special "feudal contracts" (terms of service, office, or appointment seems to fit better) for Imperial appointments to senior posts each reflective of the theme system.
Next threads will be better ways to implement feudalism (hint: it wasn't always that decentralized); subinfeudation laws, generic things I want to see for every realm (court splendor, retinues representing a mobile court instead of the Byzantine retinue army, etc), army composition, culture-specific holdings (fortified settlements), and realm-specific "Elective" succession types.
Most Byzantine aristocrats were not landed in the sense that they were granted fiefs in exchange for military tenure, but they were wealthy landowners who held large private estates. They made up the upper strata of Byzantine officialdom and for this they were called the Dynatoi or literally, the powerful. The origins of the Dynatoi trace back to the 7th/8th centuries and after the abandonment of extensive lands as a result of invasions wealthy landowners would acquire as much as possible after reconquests. These lands became profitable and even prosperous in the 9th century and would further enrich these landowners who began to form magnate families. Their enrichment as a result of their political and financial influence often came at the expense of mid-tier and small landowners (the Penetes), who had earlier been the main pillar of Byzantine society and economy.
Of the few aristocrats who were held landed titles, they all held them by virtue of an Imperially-appointed office that could be revoked or have its borders changed at a whim. The office of Strategos was a commander who held combined military, fiscal, and civil authority over the military, fiscal, and civil administration of a command area. The Strategos and his lower-ranking aides and intermediary-level commands were entrusted with the defense and governance of a province/military district from external threats.
Most of the land they ruled was property of the state, or privately held. They did not own the land they governed, for that would require purchasing all public and private lands within it for an impossible sum, where historically the aristocrats holding these offices never held enough to have full control (if they did, they'd have to manage all of it, and w/o the aid of civil officials or the former Penetes).
Mind you, this wasn't just an appointment to some sort of "province" as a mere civilian governor. These offices were the hierarchy of command in the Byzantine army as well and they combined ultimate civil, fiscal, and military jurisdiction over a district (thema) into one office. These "districts" would be the primary administrative subdivisions of the Empire as well as being the area of command for military tenure in a field army (hence why they're also thema, though the order in which I mentioned them is the opposite of which came first, thema were initially mobile field armies).
These offices would become increasingly dominated by aristocratic families as each one of them would compete for the most prestigious appointments, to the point where two Dynatoi families would have monopolized Imperial appointments to the senior administrative and military posts of Anatolia, an attainable feat due to their privileged status as wealthy landowners who had easy access to education. So great was their stranglehold on the administrative apparatus that many Emperors ended up finding it imperative to curtail their power. Emperors from Romanos I Lekapenos to Basil II passed a range of agrarian reforms to combat their activities and prevent acquisitions of lands allocated to the maintenance of Thematic armies, and Basil even tried to check them via the allelengyon tax. It is said they were first spurred by the popular revolt led by Basil the Copper Hand.
However, the allelengyon tax would face backlash from the Church and be repealed after only 5 years, and by the time of the Komnenian and Palaiologan dynasties, kept governance of the state tightly controlled by a limited number of easily managed intermarrying aristocratic families.
Of the few aristocrats who were held landed titles, they all held them by virtue of an Imperially-appointed office that could be revoked or have its borders changed at a whim. The office of Strategos was a commander who held combined military, fiscal, and civil authority over the military, fiscal, and civil administration of a command area. The Strategos and his lower-ranking aides and intermediary-level commands were entrusted with the defense and governance of a province/military district from external threats.
Most of the land they ruled was property of the state, or privately held. They did not own the land they governed, for that would require purchasing all public and private lands within it for an impossible sum, where historically the aristocrats holding these offices never held enough to have full control (if they did, they'd have to manage all of it, and w/o the aid of civil officials or the former Penetes).
Mind you, this wasn't just an appointment to some sort of "province" as a mere civilian governor. These offices were the hierarchy of command in the Byzantine army as well and they combined ultimate civil, fiscal, and military jurisdiction over a district (thema) into one office. These "districts" would be the primary administrative subdivisions of the Empire as well as being the area of command for military tenure in a field army (hence why they're also thema, though the order in which I mentioned them is the opposite of which came first, thema were initially mobile field armies).
These offices would become increasingly dominated by aristocratic families as each one of them would compete for the most prestigious appointments, to the point where two Dynatoi families would have monopolized Imperial appointments to the senior administrative and military posts of Anatolia, an attainable feat due to their privileged status as wealthy landowners who had easy access to education. So great was their stranglehold on the administrative apparatus that many Emperors ended up finding it imperative to curtail their power. Emperors from Romanos I Lekapenos to Basil II passed a range of agrarian reforms to combat their activities and prevent acquisitions of lands allocated to the maintenance of Thematic armies, and Basil even tried to check them via the allelengyon tax. It is said they were first spurred by the popular revolt led by Basil the Copper Hand.
However, the allelengyon tax would face backlash from the Church and be repealed after only 5 years, and by the time of the Komnenian and Palaiologan dynasties, kept governance of the state tightly controlled by a limited number of easily managed intermarrying aristocratic families.
Implementing "landless" aristocrats (similar to landed English gentry, titleless of noble titles but not truly landless);
In a similar fashion to feudal rulers having a personal castle in an obsolete CK2 mod, or more accurately family palaces for patrician families, each of the Dynatoi families should get their own private estates managed and held by their Dynast and easily viewed from their own tab. These should not be represented on the map as connected to any particular county as privately held property would never encompass an entire administrative division and I don't think one could find enough people to manage that many estates. Additionally they should considered representative of all estates held by a Dynatoi family, each one of which should be accessible to the Dynast managing them in the same tab as the other Dynatoi estates. The Dynast should be able to designate another relative to inherit the private estates held by their family upon their death.
Unlike family palaces though, the estates held by Dynatoi were never static. The Dynast should have many improvements to an individual estate available in addition to acquisition of new estates through a decision. Dynasts should be able to purchase the estates of say, financially ruined Penetes (in poor condition) for a reasonable sum of money (if large enough they may even rebound and rise to prominence), purchase the estates of a rapidly falling Dynatoi family for an even larger amount (in whatever condition they were in before they were bought), or purchase some of the vast public lands utilized for the maintenance of Thematic armies for an inexplicably large sum (but very high quality and in great condition).
Speaking of the condition of private estates (though this is more flavor than anything), the Dynast should be able to hire someone to manage individual estates. Each estate should get modifiers for their management that affect their output of cash and prestige that can be affected by how often an estate is inspected or improved. There should also be an option to hire an overseer to report the upkeep, income, and condition of each estate via decision.
Obviously for a realm as large as the Byzantine Empire, there should be far more than just 5 aristocratic families holding large estates. This number would have probably been incredibly large so that when in the late 11th-12th centuries when it was listed the Empire had 80 civil/military noble families it was said to be "a very small number for so large a state". However, this is likely unfeasible to implement, so I suggest having most of the "families" be composed of a single metropolitan-based aristocrat owning a single estate not significant enough to warrant representation in a "Dynatoi" tab.
Unlike family palaces though, the estates held by Dynatoi were never static. The Dynast should have many improvements to an individual estate available in addition to acquisition of new estates through a decision. Dynasts should be able to purchase the estates of say, financially ruined Penetes (in poor condition) for a reasonable sum of money (if large enough they may even rebound and rise to prominence), purchase the estates of a rapidly falling Dynatoi family for an even larger amount (in whatever condition they were in before they were bought), or purchase some of the vast public lands utilized for the maintenance of Thematic armies for an inexplicably large sum (but very high quality and in great condition).
Speaking of the condition of private estates (though this is more flavor than anything), the Dynast should be able to hire someone to manage individual estates. Each estate should get modifiers for their management that affect their output of cash and prestige that can be affected by how often an estate is inspected or improved. There should also be an option to hire an overseer to report the upkeep, income, and condition of each estate via decision.
Obviously for a realm as large as the Byzantine Empire, there should be far more than just 5 aristocratic families holding large estates. This number would have probably been incredibly large so that when in the late 11th-12th centuries when it was listed the Empire had 80 civil/military noble families it was said to be "a very small number for so large a state". However, this is likely unfeasible to implement, so I suggest having most of the "families" be composed of a single metropolitan-based aristocrat owning a single estate not significant enough to warrant representation in a "Dynatoi" tab.
"Landed" in the sense that the office they are appointed to is tied to 3 separate administrations under their ultimate authority. These aristocrats would be highly educated and form the core of the officialdom for the theme system as they would be appointed to the highest administrative (fiscal/civil/judicial) or military posts. I can imagine that Dynatoi families would pool together their influence to get the Emperor to appoint more of their relatives to the officialdom, possibly through bribes.
Being appointed to a landed
There should be around 8 types of special "feudal contracts" (terms of service, office, or appointment seems to fit better) for Imperial appointments to senior posts each reflective of the theme system.
- Thema (Strategos): Regularly-organized proper theme with offices below being equal in civil, fiscal, judicial, and military duties and having total control of its administration (all Strategoi outside Anatolia). Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Thema (Strategos): Regularly-organized proper theme with its Strategos receiving a salary from the Imperial treasury in lieu of the rights to raise taxes for themselves instead of the Emperor (all Strategoi of Anatolia). Salaries are dictated by the Thematic Governor Hierarchy, with the top-tier receiving an annual salary of 40 pounds of gold (placement in a tier is dictated by prestige attached to the office). Opinion plus for appointment and prestige for holding. Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Thema (Strategos): Irregularly-organized purely military theme where taxation and defense of its mainland are the responsibility of another Strategos and civil officials (who can set up his own Tourmarches for the area) while contractually obligated to provide a fleet and oarsmen. Its Thematic fleet cannot be disbanded or merged with another until the "contract" is changed to a proper theme like the ones above. Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Possibly add another type to represent Thema Aigaion Pelagos which had a full complement of military, civil, and fiscal officials but had the civil administration and local defense of the Dardanelles and Propontis under Thema Opsikion while the Aegean Theme was responsible for equipping ships and conscripting from the Dardanelles and Propontis for oarsmen.
- Also possibly add another type to represent Thema Kibyrrhaioton which was a fully-fledged dedicated naval theme whose Strategos still retained full administrative authority.
- All would be Anatolian themes and as such would have salaried Strategoi. They did not rank very high, however.
- Thema (Domestikos): Irregularly-organized theme whose "Strategos" commands 4,000 mule-drivers as a logistical and supply tagma for other Tagmata stationed in Constantinople and has no lower military offices. Opinion malus for appointment. Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Province (Krites): Contractual obligations of Thema Aigaion Pelagos under a Krites after the theme reverted to a civil province following its fleet being subsumed into the Imperial Navy. Must NOT be a commander to be appointed to.
- Province (Doux): Contractual obligations of the Douxs governing Thema Kibyrrhaioton after the theme reverted to a civil province following its fleet being disbanded and being under a Krites for some time. Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Ducate: King-tier office combining the commands of multiple themata under a Doux (Anatolian frontier). Salaried by the Imperial treasury instead of raising taxes. Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Katepanate: King-tier office combining the command zones of multiple themata under a Katepano (Italy and the sometimes the Balkan frontier). Salaried by Imperial treasury. Must be a commander to be appointed to.
- Urban Prefect/Eparch: The office of the formal head of the Senate as well as supreme judge of Constantinople (even after the Emperor), the sole office responsible for the administration of the capital and its immediate vicinity. Due to their high Senatorial role as Illustres and purely civilian origin of the office, the Eparch's nomination must be ratified by the Senate and wear a toga. Its immense prestige and authority caused it to be one of a few offices barred from eunuchs (other than the Anatolic Theme, which ranked first in precedence of Thematic governors).
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