სილენტიარიოსის ტიტული საქართველოსა და ბიზანტიაში

Abstract

The title of silentiarios was among important titles in Byzantine Empire. The group of silentiarioi was created by the emperor Constantine I the Great (306-337). The function of silentiarios was to secure order and silence in the imperial palace of Constantinople. In the beginning there were thirty silentiarioi in Byzantium headed by three decurions. The most notable decurion of silentiarioi was the future emperor Anastasius in the 5th century. Gubazes II king of Lazica also held the post of imperial silentiarios of Byzantium. Born in 523 in the family of the Lazi king Tzathes and the Roman noble woman Valeriana, Gubazes lived in Constantinople before his occupation of the royal throne of Lazica. In 538 he lived in Constantinople as a prince of Lazica. Probably, he was the hostage as a family member of the client king of the Eastern Roman Emperor. We do not know exactly the date when he had received the position of imperial silentiarios, but already in 538 he is holding this title. In 539 he returned to his homeland, but he did not receive any payment (rhoga) for his title which was preserved for him during his stay in Lazica. Probably, that was a delay. Lazica was far from Constantinople, besides, Byzantine rulers alwayes hesitated to send money in remote regions of the Byzantine sphere of influence. In 541 Gubazes made rebellion against Byzantines and invited Persians in Western Georgia. From 541 to 548 he did not receive any rhoga due to his desertion to Sassanids. In 548 the Persian plot was discovered against the Lazi king. Gubazes switched his allegiance again, now in favour for the Byzantine Emperor. He sent the letter to Justinian I (527-565) and asked him to pay his 10 years rhoga, as well as three centenaria (three hundred libra of gold) to hire Alans and Sabirs from the North Caucasus. After some hesitation Justinian send whole 10 years rhoga and money for recruitment of the Alans and the Sabirs. After that Gubazes was reestablished in his former status of imperial silentiarios. The payment of whole ten years rhoga suggests that he was reckoned as silentiarios even when he was rebellious against Byzantines. Gubazes kept his title of silentiarios until his assassination in 555. The function, insignia, investiture, ceremony and salary of silentiarios in the Byzantine Commonwealth is also investigated in this article.