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 seven main departments, these include: the Department of the Grand Kourator, Department of the Grand Chamberlain, 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 Kourator

The Department of the Grand Kourator (Megas Kouropalates) is overseen by the Grand Kourator who functions as supervisory head for the entire Imperial Court. The Department of the Grand Kourator 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 Kourator is subdivided into six sections, which are repsonsible for a host of functions, these five sections are 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 Court Pharmacy, the Imperial Buildings Management, Court Utilities, Imperial Theatres Bureau, Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Gardens and Parks Bureau. In addition to these the Department works alongside the Office of Ceremonies for the arrangement of all state functions.

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 has financial oversight along with the Office of Ceremonies over all state functions and receptions.

It is a modern update to the ancient office of the Vestiarion, or Imperial Wardrobe, which as long overseen the Imperial fortune; it should not be confused with the oikeiakon vestiarion, a position denoting the private wardrobe of the Emperor. This office responsible for managing the assets tied to the Imperial Court and at the disposal of the Emperor by virtue of his position. The department is overseen by the Sakellarios, the Imperial Purse-Bearer.

The Sakellarios 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 Treasury. 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 Public Wardrobe, that is the finances of the Imperial court.

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, in connection with the Imperial Stables.

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 safe 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, Cathedrak of Hagia Triada, Cathedral of Hagia Aima, 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 Imperial Palace Gardens in the Alexandropolis Palace, 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 Kastrophylax (castrensis sacri palatii), 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 Kanstresios (Table provisioner).

The Court services Office is also 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 monthly shifts responsible for the various rooms, halls, and chapels of the Imperial Palace.
• Hebdomadarioi, serving weekly rotations they were subordinate to the Diatarioi
• Loustai, Servants responsible for preparing Imperial baths and the Imperial Laundry
• Kandelaptai, originally charged with lighting candles in the palace, now dealing with lighting of the palaces through electricity. 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.

The Hunting Office is headed by the Protokynegos (Grand Huntsman), who is assisted by Protoierakarios (Chief Falconer) both 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 Master of the Camp, under the direction of the the Grand Master of the Camp (Megas Statopedarches) as senior head overseeing the nine guards units. The Megas Statopedarches surbordinates include:

• Domestic of the Schools: Commander of the Scholai
• Domestic of the Excubitors: Commander of the Excubitores
• Droungarios of the watch: Commander of the Vigla 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 Chamberlain

The Department of the Grand Praepositos is headed by the Grand Praepositos, with its functions including oversight over the 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 Praepositos include the Office of the Grand Praepositus, the Koiton (Imperial Chamber), Oikeiakon Vestiarion (Private Wardrobe), the Historic Art Collections, and the Imperial Academies.

The department of the Grand Praepositos manages various cultural institutions such as the Oikeiakon Vestiarion, 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 Praepositos oversees the Crown Jewels, Imperial art collection, and the various Imperial Academies.

Office of the Grand Praepositos

The Office of the Grand Praepositos serves as the administrative office of the Department of the Grand Praepositos; 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 Honour, which are headed by the Grand Seneschal and Grand Constable respectively

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 (Chief Eunuch).

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 (Eunuch Chamberlain serving within the private chambers of the Emperor), Archontopouloi (Noble pages), and the paidopouloi (common pages).

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 specific art in addition to historically significant works; and the Hormisdas Palace, a palace technically attached to the Imperial Palace complex in Alexandropolis which houses an extensive art collection gifted to the state.

The Historic Art Collections Agency is overseen by an eight-member board consisting of:

• Custodian of the imperial furniture, refers specifically to furniture on display at various museums and public rooms in the palace.
• Curator of the Atrium: responsible for the displays in the atriums of every imperial palace. Director of the Imperial Museums.
• Custodian of the Paintings: responsible for all paintings in the imperial collection
• Curator of the Picture galleries: oversight over the Imperial Art Gallery
• Custodian of the Ancestral Masks: responsible for matters pertaining to funerary art and the ritual death masks.
• Custodian of the Statues: responsible for all imperial statuary, sculptures, busts and statues in the possession of the imperial court.
• Custodian of the Valuables: responsible for the ceremonial plate, that is the gold, silver, and porcelain dinning services used for state functions
• Curator of the imperial jewels: responsible for the crown jewels, that is jewels passed on to the next generation, and officially at the disposal of the Emperor or the Empress consort.

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, with its presiding officer the Grand Seneschal, 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 Primmikerios who is assisted in his duties by low ranking courtiers called the silentiarii, who originally charged with the maintenace of silence and order within the Imperial Palaces.

Office of the Imperial Domain

The Office of the Imperial Domain 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 Domain, 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 Domain 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 in the country. 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 attached to the crown are the assets derived from the Emperor's personal fortune and the Imperial Family Trust, an asset management foundation established to strictly control and administer the Imperial Family's private assets. The personal assets of the Imperial Family include:

• Grand Principality of Dardanellia, 157,000 acres of agricultural, commercial and residential land, valued at $682 million.
• Despotate of Morea, 117,000 acres of land throughout the empire, used for agriculture, residential, and commercial properties. Valued at $1.5 billion
• Emperor's personal estate Bosphoros Palace contains some 15,000 acres of farmland, and commmercial property.
• Emperor's private island estate, Villa Prinkips with 3,500 acres of agricultural, commericial, and residential property.
• Rhomaios Castle, ancestral seat of the Imperial family, with about 5,622 acres of farmland
• Investment portfolio valued at $2 billion
• Personal collection of artwork, paintings, sculptures, furniture, and jewellry.

It should be noted that certain estates held by members of the imperial family fall somewhere between the private and state properties, these are called tied estates, because they are parmently tied to the specific title and cannot be sold and revert to the Imperial Domain when the holder dies without a male heir; they are however administered privately by the holder as imperial appanages separate from the Imperial Domain, when in use.

These tied estates include:

• Duke of Chalcedon Estate, including, Chalcedon Palace, Lauseion House, Kyklobion House, Elaion Akra Palace, and well over 150,000 acres of agricutural, commercial and residential real estate. It should be noted that the Duke of Chalcedon married the fabulously wealthy Penelope Rhomaios-Troadinos, heiress to the Prince of Opsikion, the last male of the House of Opsikion, a branch of the imperial house whose wealth as long since rivaled if not dwarfed that of the immediate Imperial family.
• Duke of Lacedaemon Estate, including Meloudion Palace, Aretai House, and additional properties
• Duke of Ellis Estate, including the St. Euphemia Palace, and additional properties.

Office of the Gynaikeion

The Office of the Gynaikeion refers to the seperate establishement within the imperial court which defines the hierarchy of the women of the court. The official head of the Gynaikeion based on her seniority is her Imperial Highness, Dowager Consort Theophano who serves as Padishah Begum, first lady of the Imperial Court, the highest ranking women at court, second to the Empress regnant only.

Imperial Consort Theopano being the step mother of the reiging Empress Elena II ranks directly below the Empress regnant being the only surviving consort to the late Emperor Constantine XXII. The Grand Mistress of the Gynaikeion is the Zoste Patricia who oversees all female courtiers being responsible for the daily routine of the women of the court, all financial accounts related to the Gynaikeion and the organization of the staff.

The Zoste Patricia is assisted by the Kouropalatissa, and the Protovestiaria. The Kouropalatissa responsibilites include the travels of the court ladies, and the furnishing of their apartments. The Protovestiaria is responsible the clothing and jewelry of the court ladies, and the supervision of the dressing ceremony.

Another position, that of Patrikia Pedagogia is a position of much importance because it denotes the official Governess of the imperial children, a role denoting the woman responsible for the rearing and raising of the imperial children.

Mid-ranking female courtiers called Koubikoularia serve as ladies in waiting in the Gynaikeion, they are divided into the Koubikoularia tōn Gynaikōn (Ladies of the Chamber) and Koubikoularia tōn oikeiakon (Women of the Court). The majority of female courtiers are part of the lowest ranking class of female staff, the Vestiaria who are responsible for a host of functions, primarily acting as maids of honour.

It should be noted that women selected to be in the Gynaikeion as possible concubines typically start out as a Cariye or an Odalik, Courtesans and Chamber attendants, women whose primary fuction is to wait on the empress and imperial princesses.

Office of the Ektomiai

The Office of the Ektomiai is unique to the Imperial Court of Mesogeia for the simple fact that it refers to the third seperate hierarchy at court reserved exclusively for eunuchs. The department administers and oversees the activities of the thousands of eunuchs employed throughout the imperial palaces of Mesogeia. The Office of the Ektomiai is headed by the Parakoimomenos tou koitonos, who acts as Chief Eunuch, overseeing the activities of the corps of eunuchs at court.

From a high of 70,000 to 100,000 eunuchs in the medieval ages, the Imperial Court now employs only about 2,500 registered eunuchs spread across the five main imperial residences at Alexandropolis, Troiana, Chrysopolis, Farsagadae, and Sousa. The court titles reserved for eunuchs are nearly identical to the court titles reserved for men with minor differences, with the highest rank being, Protoi Philoi (Friend of the first rank); while the lowest rank is that Nipsistiarios.

Office of the Imperial Stables

The Office of the Imperial Stables refers to the department responsible for the ceremonial and everyday transport of the Imperial family of Mesogeia. The department is responsible for managing the stables, carriage houses, the breeding farms, and the Imperial Riding Schools attached to the Imperial Court.

The office of the Imperial Stables is open to the public for much of the year, having in its possession 60 horse-drawn carriages, coaches, and landaulets; together with 20 motorized vehicles. Being one of the most expensive departments of the Imperial Court is said to possess 30 horses, from a high of 270 in the late 19th century.

The carriages housed in the Imperial Stables include the Basileus State Coach, Shahanshah State Coach, Kaiser State Coach, the Diamond State Coach, The Despot's State Coach, 1904 State Landau, and the Imperial Hearse.