Megas logothetes

The post originated as the logothetes ton sekreton, established by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118) in an attempt to improve the coordination of the various fiscal departments (sekreta).

[11] This view, however, has been proven as mistaken by later studies: numerous sources show that the position of chief minister during that time was designated by the title of mesazon, an office that supervised the imperial chancery and was in charge of state administration and justice.

[15] Only three megaloi logothetai are known to have held the mesastikion—Theodore Mouzalon, Theodore Metochites, and John Gabalas—and indeed appear to have been appointed as mesazon before being promoted to megas logothetes, thereby demonstrating the distinct nature of the two titles.

[11][16] Already during pseudo-Kodinos's time, however, the purview of foreign affairs had been transferred to the mesazon, and the megas logothetes was thereafter reduced to a mostly honorific position; the early 15th-century writer Mazaris describes it as a 'prize' (γέρας) without particular attributes.

[7] In his Untersuchungen zur spätbyzantinischen Verfassungs- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, the German scholar Ernst Stein proposed that in the early 14th century, the megas logothetes also exercised the functions of the former Eparch of Constantinople in overseeing the administration of the imperial capital, until Andronikos III Palaiologos (r. 1328–1341), seeking to secure his throne after winning the civil war of 1321–1328, assigned them to the protostrator.