Drungarios

A droungarios, also spelled drungarios (Greek: δρουγγάριος, Latin: drungarius) or, in its English
form, drungary, was a military rank of the late Roman and Byzantine Empires.

History and use

Late Roman and Byzantine army

The term drungus is first attested in Latin in the later fourth century. It derives from Gaulish
*dhrungho (see Old Irish drong; Old Breton drogn or drog), meaning “tribe”, “group”, “throng” or
“crowd”. An alternative Germanic etymology cited by some historians originates in seventeenth-
century guesswork which has been rejected by the overwhelming majority of philologists. [1] The
earliest usage of drungus in Latin is non-technical and similarly signifies a generic “band” or “troop”,
which Vegetius equates to Latin globus.[2] The term first occurs in Greek as droungos (δροῦγγος), with
the same meaning, in the early fifth century. [3] In the late sixth century, the Emperor Maurice applies
droungos to a specific tactical deployment, usually of cavalry, characterised as a compact non-linear
grouping suited to outflanking tactics, ambushes and irregular operations. He is the first author to
employ the cognate adverb droungisti (δρουγγιστί), with the sense of "in group formation" or "small-
group tactics".[4] Maurice also occasionally employs droungos as a generic expression for larger
"groupings" or "formations" of troops, though in this sense he refers only to a "division" (meros) and
never to a "brigade" (moira) with which droungos became associated in later sources. [5]

The term droungarios (δρουγγάριος) is not documented before the early seventh century but might
have been used as an informal or unofficial designation before that date. The office and the
corresponding unit appear to have initially referred to ad hoc arrangements, but during the early
seventh century these were formalized, like much of the Eastern Roman army's rank structure. [6] In the
new military-administrative theme system, every major division, called a thema (Θέμα), was further
divided into tourmai while each tourma was divided into moirai (μοίραι) or droungoi, which in turn
were composed of several banda. Thus each moira or droungos was the analogue of a modern
regiment or brigade, initially ca. 1000 men strong (and hence also referred to as a chiliarchia),
although on occasion it could rise to 3000 men, and Emperor Leo VI the Wise is recorded as having
established droungoi of only 400 men for the new smaller themes.[7]

The commander of the elite Vigla regiment (one of the tagmata) also bore the rank of droungarios, and
was later raised to the rank of megas droungarios tēs viglēs (μέγας δρουγγάριος τῆς βίγλης, "Grand
Drungary of the Vigla"). In the 11th century, this office also assumed significant judicial
responsibilities, since its holder became the president of the imperial court of the Vēlon, housed at the
"Covered Hippodrome" adjoining the imperial palace.[8] In the Komnenian period, its holders, men like
Andronikos Kamateros, were amongst the emperor's senior aides. [9]

In the Palaiologan period, this office was the tenth in the overall hierarchy, according to the list of
Pseudo-Kodinos, and on campaign, its holder was responsible for setting the watch around the
imperial camp.[10]

[edit] Byzantine Navy

The rank of droungarios was also used in the Byzantine navy to designate its admirals. The
droungarios tou basilikou plōïmou (δρουγγάριος τοῦ βασιλικοῦ πλωίμου) was the commander of the
central Imperial Fleet, based at and around Constantinople, while the provincial ("thematic") fleets
were also commanded by a droungarios (although it was later replaced by the more exalted rank of
strategos), to whose title was added the name of the thema under his command, e.g. droungarios tōn
Kibyrraiōtōn (δρουγγάριος τῶν Κιβυρραιωτῶν, the admiral of the Cibyrrhaeotic Theme). The
droungarios of the Imperial Fleet was later raised to the rank of megas droungarios [tou plōïmou]
("Grand Drungary [of the Fleet]") acting as commander in chief of the entire navy, until he was
replaced in this task by the megas doux in the 1090s. The office of megas droungarios of the fleet
continued to exist, in a subordinate position, until the Empire's fall. The variant rank of
droungarokomēs (δρουγγαροκόμης) also existed, signifying a count (komēs) in command of a
squadron of warships.

The rank of droungarios was one of the lowest military ranks that carried an accompanying court title,
ranging from hypatos to vestētōr.[11]

[edit] See also

 Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy

[edit] References

1. ^ Rance (2004), pp. 97-105

2. ^ Vegetius, Epitoma rei militaris III.16, 19
3. ^ John Chrysostom, Epistulae ad Olympiadem 4.2
4. ^ Maurice, Strategikon, esp. III.14, IV.5
5. ^ Maurice, Strategikon I.3, IX.3; Rance (2004), pp. 109-114
6. ^ Haldon (1999), p. 109