Nobility of Mesogeia

The Mesogeian nobility refers to all persons belonging to the upper class of Mesogeia, with the legal status of hereditary nobility and possessing specific privileges, as defined by the laws and traditions of the Mesogeian monarchy.

Wealth and economic status

The Mesogeian nobility is synonymous with the elite and the aristocracy in the country, holding a very prominent place in society. Many of them own and manage real estate companies, or hold prestigious positions in the Imperial court, society, business, diplomacy or in the charity world. Some of the oldest families are the caretakers of vast landed estates.

It should be noted that just 25% of the 800 wealthiest families in Mesogeia are members of nobility, however they control a disproportionate amount of the nation's wealth. The wealthiest among them the Duke of Myrina is worth $16 billion, a number far out pacing the empress' personal fortune.

History

The history of the Mesogeian nobility dates back to antiquity and orignated from the late classical and medieval age in Mesogeia. The earliest form of "nobles" in the country orginated as mounted warriors who enjoyed the trust and friendship of the monarch; being called Hetairoi (Companions) in the southern provinces and or Azadan (free noble) in the northern province; with landed rights, special privleges, and obligations of allegiance and military service to the sovereign emperor and or regional king.

The Hetairoi in the southern provinces, particuarly around the provinces of Morea, Troiana, Mygdonia, and Pharosia, were defined by their financial capability to maintain armour, horses, and military forces in support of a regional king or of the Mesogeian emperor.

In contrast, in the northern provinces, particuarly around the provinces of Aerion, Khvarvaran, Traxiana and Ardistan, the northern nobles or Azadan with their landed rights eventually came to denote the middle and lower nobility in the north with them forming the bulk of the empire's calvary in the classical age.

In the 4th century BC, the Aegaid dynasty (of southern-Hellenic origin) conquered the old Azagartian empire and began the process of swift hellenization. During their three hundred year rule of Mesogeia proper and greater Azgartia the Aegaid dynasty employed military settlers of hellenic origin in order to fill the ranks of their infantry and cavalry units. These military settlers called Kleruchoi in the southern provinces and Katoikoi in the northern regions, were used by the Aegaid emperors to form strategic phalanx, cavalry and guards units in return for grants of land and the status of hetairoi. Meanwhile the rest of the empire's armies, would consist of native-Farsian and mercenary soliders who served as light calvary, and auxiliary forces.

While Hetairoi as a rank of status never became a position that was awarded to non-hellenic or specifically Aerionese nobles it was eventually superseded by the honorific of Basilikoi Philoi (literally Friends of the Sovereign) in the late 3rd and early 2nd centuries, this position was coincidently awarded to persons that were either hellenic, mixed-hellenic or to those that were neither. The honorific of Basilikoi Philoi would eventually become the precursor to the later noble class in Mesogeia as well as various court honorifics within the Imperial Court itself.

At the same time the title of Wuzurgan which had originated as a title of rank for the great land owing Aerionese Farsian noble clans or the Homotimoi charged with governing important satrapies and raising armies on behalf of the old emperors eventually started to be applied to the typically southern hellenic high nobles or Hegemonikoi who fufilled a similar role in the south.

The Wuzurgan (that is the Dukes, Princes, and Marquesses) became known collectively as the Grandees of the empire, with their families making up the Mesogeian Great Houses (Mega Eupatridae Phyles), of which in mordern times there are no more then 200 or so families making up this most exclusive upper crust.

Overall (excluding the lower untitled nobility) there are about 644 families with the rank of Duke, Prince, Marquess, Count, Viscount, and Lord) of which 380 were of northern/Aerionese-mixed origin, and 264 were of southern-Alcaenian origin, with some having their base in the civil nobility tasked with the administration and others in the regional/provincial nobility tasked with military service.

Form of address

• Exousiastatos (The Serene Highness): The proper form of address for all constituent kings (or Shahrdaran) (Commonly referred to presently as "His Satrapal Majesty" for those members of the aristocracy bearing the rank of king, and "His Satrapal Highness for their descendants.

• Galiniostatos (The Exalted Highness): The Proper form of address reserved for all Wispuhrans (or Princes of the blood, that is members of cadet branches of the Imperial house. It should be noted that while Princes of the blood in theory outrank all non-members of the Imperial family they are ranked according to the date of the creation of their most senior title in the Mesogeian peerage system, placing them below all extant constituent kings and somewhere between the Grandees and middle and lower nobility.

• Endoxostatos (The Most Glorious): The proper form of address for all Grandees (Wurzugans) of the empire, all dukes, and non-imperial princes, and the descendants of the (great houses). The Great Officers of the Empire.

• Epiphanestatos (The Most Illustrious): The proper form of address for a Marzban (marquess), Chief officers of the Imperial Court. Often translated into His Excellency.

• Periphanestatos (The Very Proud" rendered as The Most Distinguished): The proper form of address for counts, cabinet ministers, provincial governors including Exarch, Satrap.

• Eugenestatos (The Well Born): The proper form of address for a Viscounts, Lords, local magistrates including Hyparch, Eparchy and Epistates.

• Kyriotatos (The Lordly): The proper form of address for all untitled nobles from Chevalier to gentlemen. All members of the lower houses of Synedrion are addressed as such.

Titles, ranks, and orders

The Mesogeian subnational royalty and nobility is divided into five ranks:

• King: Commonly called Regas, Anax, or Shahriyar, existing outside of the titles of nobility, it is the highest title outside of the imperial family, being reserved for the twelve kings charged with officiating the Emperor's coronation,
• Prince: known as Wispuhran or Sebastos Those persons entitled to be styled as princes of the imperial blood by vitue of being members of cadet branches of the imperial dynasty, they were not however immediate family members of the imperial family. The position of a Wispuhr (Prince) is distinct from the noble title of Prince, which is of a lower rank, although a Prince of the blood may hold princely titles (typically using the most senior one).
• Wuzurgan: Commonly called Grandee, is typically granted to high nobility as well as on rare occasions to the middle ranking noblilty of distinction. It specifically refers to the upper echelon of the nobility of which there are three distinct ranks
  • Duke: The most senior rank of nobility below that of king. Most Dukes have the distinction of having Khan or Pasha as a suffix to their given name.
  • Prince: Commonly known as Naxvadār or Sardar. The title is often rendered from the Gharbaic title of Amir/Emir, from which the suffix distinction of Mirza originates.
  • Marquess: Known as Kleisourarches in the southern portions of the country, while being called Marzban in the Northern portions. Marquesses of exceptional importance are honored with the distinction of having Atabeg affixed to their given names as a suffix.
• Hetairoi or Azadan: referring to the south and north term for middle ranking peers, forms the middle nobility in the empire and although the terms are male only with no equal female equivalent terms for this rank, females can for example inherit the title of Countess but not the distinction of Hetairoi (which is a male only position), instead holding it in trust for their male heirs.
  • Count: Known as Comes/Komis with Bey/Beg being used as an honorable suffix distinction. The head of the Daras-Doukas-Atabek family has the honor of being the sole person with the right to use the suffix of Beglerbegi/Beylerbey, although the family is of duchal rank.
  • Viscount: being called Apokomis with Derebey affixed to their given name as a prefix.
  • Lord: Being called Archon with Agha affixed to their given name as a prefix.
• Untitled nobility or Kyrios, meaning "Seigneur" or "Mister", this is the lowest rank of nobility, the vast majority of untitled nobility belong to this rank. There are various terms for referring to the untitled nobility including, Pronoiars (holders of pronoia), Tuyuldars (toyul-holder), Dehqan (land-owning magnates). The untitled nobility is divided into three grades:
  • Kyrios Hippotis or "Gentleman Knight", Khights and or horseman with hereditary untitled rights.
  • Kyrios Axiotímos or "Gentleman squire", are untitled nobility
  • Krios Kalos or "Good Gentleman'", are untitled nobility of the lowest grade.

While in the Synedrion, the nobility are ranked according to the date of the granting of their titles (or their recognization by the Imperial government with the right to sit in the upper houses), meanign that cadet princes of the imperial blood ranked behind grandees with older positions within the chamber only.

Precedence within the imperial court itself was slightly different however with a familys rank being determined by their ancestry, marriage alliances, the court dignities and offices they held, as well as the achievements of themselves and their ancestral family overall.

Further complicating matters a Count or Viscount who was granted with the right of Wuzurgan (Grandee) will typically outrank a non-Grandee count or even in the rare case of a non-Grandee Marquess. Usually Dukes, Princes, and most Marquesses are granted with the right of Grandee.