Imperial Court of Mesogeia

The Imperial Court of Mesogeia refers to the institution comprising the domestic, military, and religious entourage of the Emperor of Mesogeia, which supports both the reigning sovereign and the members of the Imperial Family.

Organisation

The basic administrative structure of the Imperial court has existed in its present form largely unchanged for the close to a thousand years. The Imperial court is presently divided into five main departments, these include: the Department of the Grand Magister, Department of the Grand Praepositus, the Office of Ceremonies, the Office of the Imperial Estates, the Office of the Gynaikeion, and the Office of the Ektomiai, and the Office of the Imperial Stables.

Department of the Grand Magister

The Department of the Grand Magister is overseen by the Grand Magister who functions as a kind of Imperial Chancellor for the Emperor. The Department of the Grand Magister is possibly one of the largest and most influential departments of the Imperial Court being responsible for administrative, financial, and personnel matters in some form. The Department of the Grand Magister is subdivided into six sections, which are repsonsible for a host of functions, these six sections are the Imperial Chancellery, the Exchequer & Accounting Department, the Human Aid Department the Administrative Office the Court Services Office, and the Military Household.

These five departments are responsible for various agencies including the Payments Office, Department of Imperial Travels, Department of Uniforms, Department of Buildings Maintenance, The Telegraph Office, the Ecclesiastical Household, Court Physician Bureau, Salon Services, Imperial Pharmacy, the Imperial Buildings Management, Court Utilities, Imperial Theatres Bureau, Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Gardens and Parks. In addition to these the Department works alongside the Office of Ceremonies for the arrangement of all state functions.

Imperial Chancellery

The Imperial Chancellery is overseen by the Grand Magister's subordinate the Kanikleios, the keeper of the Imperial Inkstand who functions as a counsellor responsible for safeguarding the scarlet ink used by the Emperor to sign offcial documents. The Imperial Chancellery consists of three bureaus, they include:

• Clerical Bureau, responsible for drafting official documents on the Emperor's behalf, as well as oversight of the Imperial Archives
• Correspondence Bureau, responsible for receiving and answering official correspondence to the Emperor both winin the empire and from foreign nations. It also handles the Imperial translation service when dealing with foreign nations.
• Legal Bureau, which is responsible for dealing with petitions and appeals received by the Emperor from lower courts
• Arrangement Bureau, handles administrative matters that occur when the Emperor is not in the capital.

Exchequer & Accounting Department

The Exchequer & Accounting Department with approximately 250 full-time staff members serves as the financial arm of the Imperial court with its director being responsible for various sub-departments, such as the Accounting office, the department responsible for managing the court's finances; and the Payments Office, the bureau responsible for issuing payments to the court's employees. Furthermore the office of the Exchequer as oversight along with the Office of Ceremonies over all state functions and receptions.

The Human Aid Department

The Human Aid Department is responsible for a host of activites effecting the members of the Imperial Family and the staff of the Imperial Court, this includes the Department of Imperial Travels, Department of Uniforms, Department of Buldings Maintenance, The Telegraph Office, the Ecclesiastical Household, Court Physician Bureau, and Salon Services.

The Department of Imperial Travels is charged with the business of court travel and handles the Emperor's trips and travels within the country, ensuring the safe arrival of the Emperor, the imperial family, and their housholds.

The Department of Uniforms with its small staff has direction over the court uniform, allowing for the maintance and upkeep of the court uniform.

The Department of Buldings Maintenance, is responsible for the security and safety upkeep of the Imperial Palaces

The Telegraph Office having existed since the nineteenth century for the purpose of receiving and responding to imperial telegrams, currently deals with the telephones and mobile devices attached to the Imperial court.

The Ecclesiastical Household functions as the religious arm of the Imperial Court, having oversight over various cathedrals, chapels, and monasteries with imperial patronage and all religious ceremonies in the imperial court, such as Mass, imperial marriages, baptisms, and funerals. The office is responsible for the distributions of alms and donations to various charities

The office is headed by the Synkellos in his role as Imperial Chaplain. Its staff includes hundreds of Priests, nuns preachers, and chaplains. The various cathedrals, churches, chapels and monasteries under the patronage of the Imperial Court include: the Pantheon Cathedral, Hagia Triada, Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, Palace Chapel of the Theotokos, Hormisdas Church and Monastery Chora Church, Hagia Irene, Panagia Hodegetria Monastery, Pammakaristos Church, Zoödochos Pege Monastery, Myrelaion Monastery, Nea Ekklesia, Stoudion Monastery,

The Court Physician Bureau is an advisory board of 12 senior physcians responsible for handling medical matters within the Imperial court.

Salon Services is responsible for employing doorkeepers, ushers, and announcers throughout the official state apartments, the publicly open sections of the palace.

Administrative Office

The Administrative Office of the Department of the Grand Magister is responsible for the administration of various agencies falling under the control of the Imperial court, such organisations include: the Imperial Pharmacy, Imperial Managerie and Zoological Park, Imperial Gardens and Parks Agency, and the Imperial Buildings Management.

The Imperial Pharmacy serving as an appendage to the Imperial Court is responsible for ordering and issuing supplies of medicine within the court.

The Imperial Managerie and Zoological Park Administration is responsible for overseeing the Imperial Blachernai Managerie, Alexandropolis Zoo, and the Troiana Zoo; its staff includes zookeepers and veterinarians.

The Imperial Gardens and Parks Agency is responsible for the management and oversight over the Imperial parks and gardens within the capital, which includes the Acropolis Park, the Nymphaeum Park, the Blachernai Gardens, Kynegion Park, Mangana Park, the Chalke Gardens; as well as the Pege Park, a public amusement park located on the outskirts of Alexandropolis, the imperial capital.

The cut flowers and bulbs from the Imperal gardens serves as source of income to the Imperial Court.

The Imperial Buildings Management deals with the actual managment of the individual imperial palaces, such as Imperial Palace of Alexandropolis, Chrysopolis Palace, Troiana Acropolis, Fasargadae Palace, Sousa Palace, Magnaura Palace, Galata Palace, Blachernai Castle, Chrysokeras Palace, Hieria Palace, Hebdomon Palace, Philopation Palace, Bryas Palace, Makellon Palace, Mangana Palace, and Porphyrogenitus Palace; as well as the Imperial Court Theatre, the Imperial Opera House, and the Imperial Theatre Storage Depot.

Court Services Office

The court services office is responsible for extensive activites which deals with the innermost workings of the Imperial household and the court. The Court Services Office is headed by the Megas Kouropalates, who functions as a Lord Steward. His subordinate the Megas Papias, who acts as concierge to the Imperial Palaces as long since taken on the day to day runnng of the court services. The Papias is the President of the Board of Court Services, which includes the Atriklines (Master of the Table), the Pinkernes (Chief cupbearer), the Epi tes trepezes (Chief Butler), and the Kastresios (Table provisioner).

The Court services Office is responsible for the Household Utilities Department, Hunting Office, and the General Directorate of the Imperial Theatres.

The Household Utilities Department includes the Imperial Kitchens, Imperial Pantry, the Imperial Wine Cellar, the Imperial Confectionery, Heating Department, Lighting Chamber, and the Imperial Laundry section. Within his immediate staff the Megas Papias has five subordinate Paipiai responsible for the Chalke Gate, Blachernai Palace, Daphne Palace, Boukoleon Palace and Magnaura Palaces respectively. Below the Paipiai are various subordinates responsible for provisioning the kitchens, cleaning, lighting, and the general maintenance of the Imperial Palaces, it includes:

• Deuteros, the deputy of the Paipiai who is responsible for the safekeeping, transport, and upkeep of the Imperial furniture.
• Diaitarioi, chamberlains working weekly shifts responsible for the various rooms, halls, and chapels of the Imperial Palace.
• Loustai, was responsible for both the Imperial baths and the Imperial Laundry
• Kandelaptai, originally charged with lighting candles in the palace, now dealing with lighting of the palaces. The section is also responsible for the thousands of candles used at state functions.
• Kaldarioi, charged with heating the Imperial palaces,
• Horologoi, responsible for managing the hundreds of clocks and timepieces within the imperial palaces.
• Zarabai, responsible for the Imperial Silverware and Tableware adorning the imperial table.
• Hebdomadarioi, serving weekly rotations they work in the Imperial Kitchhens, Imperial Pantry, Imperial Wine Cellar, and the Imperial Confectionary.

The Hunting Office is headed by the Protokynegos (Grand Huntsman), who is assisted by Protoierakarios (Chief Falconer) bothh of which must be drawn from the the upper aristocracy. The Hunting office is responsible for organising imperial hunts, the sale of hunting rights, and the management of the imperial hunting reserves at the Blachernai Palaces, Makellon Palace, Bryas Palace, Philopation Palace and Pege Palace

General Directorate of the Imperial Theatres is responsible for the management of the imperial theaters, of which includes six theatres, two opera houses as well as oversight over various opera, ballet, drama companies, and several theatrical schools.

Military Household

The military household operates as a branch of the Department of the Grand Magister, under the direction of the the Megas Konostaulos (Grand Constable) as senior head overseeing the nine guards units. The Grand Constable surbordinates include:

• Domestic of the Schools: Commander of the Scholai Palatinae
• Domestic of the Excubitors: Commander of the Excubitores
• Droungarios of the watch: Commander of the Vigla (Arithmos) Guard units
• Domestic of the Hikanatoi: Commander of the Hikanatoi Guards
• Prōtovestiaritēs: Commander of the Vestiaritai Guard
• Grand Hetaeriarch: Commander of the Hetaireiarches Guards
• Akolouthos: Commander of the Varangian Guard.
• Domestic of the Noumeroi: Commander of the Noumeroi Guard, known as the Domestikos ton teichon.
• Domestic of the Athanatoi: Commander of the Athanatoi Guards.

Department of the Grand Praepositus

The Department of the Grand Praepositus is headed by the Grand Praepositus, with its functions including oversight over Koiton (the private domain of the Emperor), cultural institutions attached to the Imperial Court, and physical access to the Emperor through the granting of audiences.

The Sub-departments of the Department of the Grand Praepositus include the Office of the Grand Praepositus, the Koiton (Imperial Chamber), Imperial Vestiarion (A kind of Imperial Treasury and Private Wardrobe, the Historic Art Collections, and the Imperial Academies.

The department of the Grand Praepositus manages various cultural institutions such as the Imperial Treasury, Imperial Court Library, the Imperial Art Gallery, Imperial Museum, the Hormisdas Palace, the Imperial Armoury, Imperial College of Heraldry, and the College of Chivalry. In his role as cultural minister the Grand Praepositus oversees the Crown Jewels, Imperial art collection, and the various Imperial Academies.

Office of the Grand Praepositus

The Office of the Grand Praepositus serves as the administrative office of the Department of the Grand Praepositus; with its responsiblities including matters concerning heraldry, ancestry, geneology, and the proper use of arms. Under its authority includes the sub-departments of Imperial College of Heraldry, and the College of Chivalry.

The Koiton

The Koiton, refers to the Imperial Chamber or the Private Apartments of the Emperor. The Koiton is headed jointly by the Parakoimomenos tes sphendones, the keeper of the Emperor's personal seal); and the Parakoimomenos tou koitonos (Lord Chamberlain of the Bedchamber).

Their staff includes their deputy Megas Archon (Head of the Emperor's Routine), Prokathemenos of the koiton (Attending lords of the bedchamber), Prokathemenos of the Blachernai, Prokathemenos of the Great Palace, and the Koitōnitai (Bearded Chamberlain serving within the private chambers of the Emperor), Archontopouloi (Noble pages), and the paidopouloi (common pages).

Vestiarion

The office of the Vestiarion or Imperial Wardrobe refers to the department responsible for overseeing the Emperor's private Wardrobe, imperial furniture and by extension the Imperial treasury. The department is overseen by the Protovestiarios, who is assisted in his duties by his deputy Vestarches. The office employs mid ranking officials such as a routine of Vestai and the Prokathemenos of the vestiarion, which are attending lords of the wardrobe. The lowest ranking associates of the office are the Vestitores which perform a number of functions.

Historically the Vestiarion functioned as one of the country's imperial treasuries until the state's finances were split off into other fiscal departments, leaving the Vestiarion in charge of the Emperor's Wardrobe

Historic Art Collections Agency

The Historic Art Collections Agency is responsible for overseeing the management of the Imperial Collections, which is spread out among various palaces, museums and art galleries. The primary components of the Historic Art Collections Agency consist of the Imperial Court Library, which functions as the National Library of Mesogeia; the Imperial Art Gallery, housing a large collection of the Imperial Family's extensive art collections on display; the Imperial Museum, the national museum of the empire housing Mesogeian specefic art in addition to historically significant works; and the Hormisdas Palace, a palace housing an extensive art collection gifted to the state.

Bureau of the Imperial Academies

The Bureau of the Imperial Academies is the governing body tasked with the management and general oversight of the eight Imperial Academies and various imperial societies; organisations founded by imperial decree with the intent to promote Mesogeian cultural heritage.

The Bureau consists of:

• Imperial Mesogeian Academy
• Imperial Academy of Fine Arts
• Imperial Academy of the Humanties
• Imperial Academy of Music
• Imperial Academy of Sciences
• Imperial Academy of Agriculture
• Imperial Academy of War Sciences
• Imperial Academy of Naval Sciences

Office of Ceremonies

The Office of Ceremonies acting in connection with the Grand Magister is responsonsible for the organisation of state ceremonies, such as Baptisms, marriages, state funerals, royal entries, coronations, imperial festivals, ambasadorial receptions, state balls, and the state opening of parliament. The office is headed by the Grand Primicerius.

Office of the Imperial Estates

The Office of the Imperial Estates is unique in that while being a part of the Imperial Court in theory certain sections of this department are classified as personal assets of the emperor and the Imperial Family. The office is overseen by the Count of the Imperial Estates, with the department being further subdivided into two main sections, Aulic Property, that is property and assets that the Emperor and Imperial family are entitled to use due to their position; and private assets, that being private assets seperate from their public role.

The Office of the Count of the Imperial Estates is responsible for the assets derived from various institutions attached to the Imperial Court and to the crown such as the Aulic Property Office, Imperial Pharmacy, Imperial Gardens, Imperial Hunting Office, rented properties in the cities, and agricultural estates. Assets derived from the Aulic Property Office are paid to the state each year in return for the annual civil list.

The estates belonging to the Aulic Property Office include, Imperial Palace of Alexandropolis Palace of Chrysopolis, Acropolis of Troiana, Farsargadae Palace, Sousa Palace, Palace of Magnaura, Galata Tower, Blachernai Castle, Chrysokeras Palace, Hieria Palace, Hebdomon Palace, Philopation Palace, Bryas Palace Makellon Palace, Mangana Palace, and Porphyrogenitus Palace.

Seperate from the Aulic Property and the state properties are the assets derived from the Emperor's personal fortune and the Imperial Family Trust, an asset management trust established to strictly control and administer the Imperial Family's private assets. The personal assets of the Imperial Family include the Bosphoros Palace, Chalcedon Palace, Lauseion House, Aretai House, Kyklobion House, Meloudion Palace, Villa Prinkips, and Elaion Akra Palace,