The papias (Ancient Greek: παπίας) was a eunuch official in the Byzantine court, responsible for the security and maintenance of the buildings of the imperial palaces in Constantinople.
[4] He thus controlled physical access to the imperial quarters, and was an important element in any conspiracy against the emperor's life, as demonstrated in the usurpations of Michael II in 820 and Basil I in 867.
At ceremonies for the promotion of officials, he censed the main audience hall of the Chrysotriklinos and the emperor, and on August 1, he carried a cross in procession through the streets of the capital, visiting the most wealthy citizens and receiving donations.
[1][11][12] In the mid-14th century Book of Offices of Pseudo-Kodinos, the title occupies the 22nd position in the Byzantine imperial hierarchy,[13] and its insignia were: a wooden staff (dikanikion) with alternating gold and red-gold knobs, a skiadion hat with embroidery of the klapoton type, another type of hat called skaranikon of white and gold silk with gold-wire embroidery and images of the emperor in the front and back, and a silk robe of office or kabbadion.
[14] The papiai were in charge of an extensive staff detailed to the cleaning, lighting, and general maintenance of the each palace, aided by a deputy, the Deuteros (δεύτερος, 'the second one'), who was separately responsible for the safekeeping of imperial furniture and insignia.