Theodore Styppeiotes
Theodore Styppeiotes (Greek: Θεόδωρος Στυππειώτης) was a high-ranking bureaucrat of the Byzantine Empire and a member of the court of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180), acting as the Emperor's grammatikos or secretary.[1] He was praised by Theodore Prodromos for his trustworthiness as a scribe in guarding secrets.[1]
Styppeiotes became an influential figure while serving as the assistant of John Hagiotheodorites, but through intrigue managed to have Hagiotheodorites sent to serve as the civil governor (praetor) of the joint theme of Hellas and the Peloponnese.[1] Styppeiotes rose from one office to the next, eventually reaching the position of kanikleios, guardian of the imperial inkstand.[1] From this position, he was able to influence Manuel due to his close proximity to the emperor.[1] Styppeiotes also became the mesazon (essentially chief minister) and stood high in Manuel's favor.[2]
Eventually, however, John Kamateros, the logothetes tou dromou, became frustrated with the special relationship between Styppeiotes and the emperor; Styppeiotes's goals were being fulfilled through his constant ties to Manuel while Kamateros's limited access to the emperor resulted in his demands never being met.[1] Kamateros forged a correspondence between Styppeiotes and the Norman king of Sicily, William II (r. 1166-1189), which he hid so that it could be discovered easily.[1] Styppeiotes was ultimately charged with treason by Kamateros, resulting in Emperor Manuel having Styppeiotes blinded and his tongue severed.[1]
References
Sources
- Kazhdan, Alexander; Epstein, Annabel Wharton (1985). Change in Byzantine Culture in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-52-005129-4.
- Magdalino, Paul (1991). Tradition and Transformation in Medieval Byzantium. Aldershot: Variorum. ISBN 0-86078-295-6.