'venerable above all') was a Byzantine court title created by Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118) using the imperial root sebastos (the Greek translation of Augustus).
[2] Michael Taronites, Alexios I's brother-in-law, was first awarded this title and regarded as almost equal to a Caesar.
[4] The title remained very important through to the Palaiologan era, coming right after the Caesar, but under Andronikos III Palaiologos (r. 1328–1341), when the future emperor John VI Kantakouzenos was named megas domestikos, the latter office was raised above the panhypersebastos.
[1][5] According to Pseudo-Kodinos, writing after the middle of the 14th century, the panhypersebastos was distinguished by the yellow colour of his clothing: his shoes, his mantle (tamparion), as well as his saddle, were all yellow, decorated with gold braid.
Alternatively, a domed skaranikon hat could be worn, again in red and gold, with a portrait of the emperor, standing crowned and flanked by angels, within a circle of pearls, in front.