Orphanotrophos
List of known orphanotrophoi
A number of seals of otherwise unidentified holders of the office have also survived. One records a Datos, "orphanotrophos and vestarches", while the others cannot be certainly dated.

Orphanotrophos

Section Title: List of known orphanotrophoi
Table Section Text: A number of seals of otherwise unidentified holders of the office have also survived. One records a Datos, "orphanotrophos and vestarches", while the others cannot be certainly dated.

Name	Tenure	Notes	Refs

Zotikos	under Constans II (r. 337–361)	First holder of the title and founder of the namesake orphanage, put to death by Constans II.

Nikon	under Leo I (r. 457–474)	Priest, predecessor of Acacius.

Acacius	under Leo I (r. 457–474), before 472	Nikon's successor, held the office before his elevation to the patriarchate in March 472.

Euphemius	before 489	Was priest and orphanotrophos in Neapolis before his elevation to the patriarchate in spring 489.

George	c. 869–870	Deacon and orphanotrophos (unclear if in Constantinople or the provinces), attested in the Fourth Council of Constantinople. Addressee of a letter by Photios.

Leo	early 9th century	Patrikios and orphanotrophos, addressee of a letter by Theodore Stoudites.

Nikephoros	late 9th/early 10th century	Bishop of Nicaea, attested as orphanotrophos in the Vita Ignatii.

Paul	under Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944)	Friend and co-conspirator of the magistros Stephen and Theophanes Teichiotes against the emperor. Following the plot's discovery, he was tonsured and banished to Antigone.

Demetrios	c. 942	Kouboukleisios of the cathedral of Thessalonica and orphanotrophos of the local diocese, signatory in an act of May 942.

John	late 10th century	Civil judge (krites) of the Armeniac Theme, addressee of two letters by Nikephoros Ouranos.

Melias	c. 1030	Patrikios and orphanotrophos, signatory in a synodal act of 1030.

John the Orphanotrophos	c. 1034–1041	Head of the eunuch palace servants as praipositos, he became orphanotrophos towards the end of the reign of Romanos III. After the latter's death, he raised his brother Michael IV to the throne and was the de facto ruler of the Empire throughout his reign.

Alexios Aristenos	before 1157	Aristenos followed a mixed ecclesiastic and secular judicial career and held several offices, among which that of orphanotrophos. Writer of a treatise on canon law.

Kandidos	c. 1162	A monk, mentioned in a note by John Kontostephanos, the governor of Thessalonica in November 1162.

Michael Hagiotheodorites	before 1166 – after 1170	Attested as orphanotrophos and logothetes tou dromou in the acts of synods in 1166 and 1170, he also held other senior judicial offices, and was an addressee of several of notable scholars and figures of the period.

John Belissariotes	late 12th/early 13th century	A senior official who held the posts of orphanotrophos, logothetes ton sekreton, megas logariastes, and protasekretis.

Edessenos	c. 1246	Apographeus (head of the census and tax assessment) of eastern Macedonia.

Leon Bardales	c. 1296–1300	Ambassador, along with his friend Maximos Planoudes, to the Republic of Venice in 1296.

Aidesenos	14th century	Composer of a sigillion on the Docheiariou monastery.

Alexios	c. 1348	Mentioned in the acts of the 1348 Synod of Constantinople, along with his brother, the stratopedarches Demetrios.

Kallistos	c. 1391	Priest, mentioned in a text of early 1391.

Tryphon Kedrenos	c. 1316	Sebastos and orphanotrophos, tasked with assessing the properties of eastern Macedonia in 1316.

Manuel Chageres	14th century	Mentioned in an act of 1369 for the Zographou monastery, but possibly having served far earlier, under Andronikos II Palaiologos (r.

Constantine N.	c. 1342	Pansebastos sebastos, orphanotrophos and oikeios of the emperor.

Michael Gemistos	c. 1401	Priest, mentioned in a property transaction.

Sentence(s)

Priest Nikon, Acacius, and Euphemius are known orphanotrophoi.

final_sentence: Priest Nikon, Acacius, and Euphemius are known orphanotrophoi.