Leo 18

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexE
FloruitE/M IX
Dates829 (taq) / 829 (tpq)
PmbZ No.4454
LocationsConstantinople (residence);
Constantinople
TitlesProtovestiarios of Theophilos 5 (office)
Textual SourcesGeorgius Monachus Continuatus, in Theophanes Continuatus, ed I Bekker (Bonn, 1839), pp. 761-924 (history);
Leo Grammaticus, Chronographia, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1842) (chronicle);
Pseudo-Symeon, Chronographia, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1838), pp. 603-760 (history)

Leo 18 is also called Chamodrakon or Chamaidrakon (possibly his family name); he was protovestiarios of the emperor Theophilos 5 early in that emperor's reign; the emperor, planning to punish the murderers of the emperor Leo V (Leo 15), ordered him to bring the candelabrum which had been broken on the occasion of that emperor's murder: Leo Gramm. 214, Georg. Mon. Cont. 791 (both read: προσέταξε τῷ Χαμοδράκοντι (Georg. reads: Χαμαιδράκοντι Λέοντι τῷ πρωτοβεστιαρίῳ αὐτοῦ ἀγάγειν τὸ πολυκάνδηλον).

A protovestiarios, Leo 18 defended Manuel 1 when allegations of treason were made against him by Myron 2; he seems to have convinced the emperor (Theophilos 5) of Manuel 1's innocence, though not before Manuel had fled for safety to the Arabs: Leo Gramm. 218, Georg. Mon. Cont. 796, Ps.-Symeon 632 (all read: Λέων δὲ ὁ πρωτοβεστιάριος). He probably did not serve under Theophilos 5's father, Michael II (Michael 10); see Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, pp. 135-136, 162. On the name, cf. Winkelmann, op. cit., p. 209. On the office, see Bury, Admin. System., p. 125, Oikonomides, Listes, p. 305.

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