, Med. Latin logotheta
) originally was a Byzantine
administrative title analogous to the secretary of state
, in use from the 6th to 14th century.
In Greek logothetes
means "one who accounts, calculates or ratiocinates".
From the Eastern Empire, the title was borrowed by the West, though it only became firmly established in Sicily, where the logothete occupied the position of chancellor elsewhere, his office being equal if not superior to that of the Magnus Cancellarius. Thus, the title was borne by Pietro della Vigna, the all-powerful minister of the emperor Frederick II, king of Sicily.
It was also borrowed in the internal organization of the medieval Romanian Countries (Moldavia and Wallachia).
In the Byzantine Empire the logothetes subdivided on:
- * The Logothetes tou dromou; who was responsible for postal services as well as the diplomatic relations of the Empire.
- * The Logothetes ton oikeiakon; responsible for the domestic affairs such as the security of Constantinople and the local economy.
- * The Logothetes tou genikou; responsible for the taxation of the state.
- * The Logothetes tou stratiotikou; responsible for the military economics and the wages of the army personnel.