This article contains two lists. The first list contains names of 50 archontes of Thessalonike, the second largest city in Byzantium. The second is a list made in Venice of Thessalonian soldiers' names which includes archontes; these names are all in the Venetian dialect of Italian. This document is dated 7 July 1425. Note: The name spellings in the second list have been modernized. It appears that the given names in the first list have also been partially modernized, though the surnames appear to be untouched. Archontes were a group of locally rooted office holders who dominated civic life and made up Thessalonike's ruling class. Byzantine Greece did not have nobles as did the Europeans.
In this list the author has put surnames of other family members in square brackets. I have omitted the one incomplete surname. This list is not exhaustive.
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| George Allelouias | 1327 |
| George Angelos | 1381 |
| John Aprenos | 1409(?) |
| Theordore Brachnos | 1320 |
| Theodore Chalazas | 1314-1326 |
| Symeon Chionates | 1361-66 |
| Thomas Chrysoloras | 1421 |
| Manuel Deblitzenos | 1381 |
| Theodore Diagoupes | 1421 |
| Paul Gazes | 1406-09 |
| Demetrios Glabas [Komes?] | 1366 |
| Demetrios Hidromenos | 1421 |
| Alexios Hyaleas [1] | 1333-36 |
| Constantine Ibankos | 1404 |
| Athanasios Kabakes | 1327 |
| Manuel Kampanaropoulos | 1314-1324 |
| John Kantakouzenos | 1414 |
| Manuel Kasandrenos | 1381 |
| Laskaris Kephalas | 1373 |
| Constantine Kokolas | ca. 1320 |
| George Kokalas | 1336 |
| Bartholomaios Komes | 1404-19 |
| Manuel Ko(u)llourakes | 1356-66 |
| Michael Palaiologos Krybitziotes | 1421 |
| George Kyprianos | 1348-61 |
| Theodore Doukas Kyprianos | 1414 |
| John Maroules | 1379-84 |
| John Douk(a)s Melachrinos | 1415 |
| Andronikos Metochites | 1421 |
| Laskaris Metochites | 1373-76 |
| Constantine Palaiologos Oinaiotes | 1418-21 |
| .....tos Palaiologos [sic] | ca. 1381 |
| John Pezos | 1379 |
| Manuel Phaxenos | 1341 |
| John Angleos Philathropenos | 1421 |
| Demetrios Phoberes | 1379-84 |
| Nicholas Prebezanios | 1366 |
| Petros Prebezanios | 1366 |
| Demetrios Palaiologos Prinkips | 1421 |
| George Prinkips | 1407-09 |
| John Rhadenos | 1415-21 |
| Stephanos Doukas Rhadenos | 1415-21 |
| Demetrios Sgouros | 1327 |
| Theodore Doukas Spartenos | 1341 |
| Michael Stavrakios | ca. 1320 |
| Demetrios Talapas | ca. 1381 |
| Manuel Tarchaneiotes | 1366-78 |
| Michael Angelos Trypommates | 1421 |
| George Doukas Tzykandyles | 1373-81 |
| Andronikos Doukas Tzykandyles | ca. 1381 |
Several of the same people that appear in the List I also appear here, as do family members. The author's Greek surnames are in square brackets. My additions are in parenthesis.
Note
[1] The source says of these two names, "The names of this family appears in the document as "Jalca", which is no doubt a misreading for Jalea, i.e. Hyaleas, on the part of the Venetian scribe who must have copies the names from a list. CF. Jacoby, "Thessalonique," 308 and note 29. It is also feasible that "Falca" and "Milka" "...represent further corruptions of "Jalca" caused by the scribes carelessness and lack of familiarity with Greek Names."
Source
Necipoğlu, Nevra. 'The Aristocracy in Late Byzantine Thessalonike: A Case Study of the City's Archontes (Late 14th and early 15th Centuries)', in Dumbarton Oaks Papers no. 57, Symposium on Late Byzantine Thessalonike, 2003, pp. 134-151.