Droungarios A droungarios , also spelled drungarios ( , ) or anglicized as Drungary , was a military rank of the late Roman and Byzantine empires , signifying the commander of a formation known as " droungos " . Late Roman and Byzantine army . " Drungus " is first attested in Latin in the early 4th century , adopted either from Gaulish or a Germanic language . In the late 6th century , the Emperor Maurice ( r . 582 – 602 ) in his " Strategikon " used " droungos " to refer to a specific tactical deployment , usually of cavalry , although still in the general sense of " grouping , division " . The term " droungarios " ( Greek : δρουγγάριος ) is not documented before the early 7th 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 7th century these were formalized , like much of the Eastern Roman army ' s rank structure . In the new military - administrative theme system , every major division , called a " thema " ( Greek : θέμα ) , was further divided into " tourma i " , while each " tourma " was divided into " moirai " ( Greek : 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 circa 1000 men strong ( and hence also referred to as a " chiliarch ia " ) , although on occasion it could rise to 3000 men , and Emperor Leo VI the Wise ( r . 886 – 912 ) is recorded as having established " droungoi " of only 400 men for the new smaller themes . The rank of " droungarios " was one of the lowest military ranks that carried an accompanying court title , ranging from " hypatos " to " vestētōr " . " Droungarios " of the " Vigla " . The commander of the elite " Vigla " regiment ( one of the " tagmata " ) bore the rank of droungarios tēs viglēs ( Greek : ) . The first mention of this office occurs in 791 . The " Vigla " regiment was responsible for guarding the Byzantine emperor on campaign . The close proximity to the Byzantine emperor made the office extremely important , and in the 10th and 11th centuries it was held by a number of leading aristocratic families . After circa 1030 , 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 , in which capacity it survived until the end of the Byzantine Empire . The prefix " megas " ( " grand " ) was added to the title , reflecting the fact that in the Komnenian period , its holders , men like Andronikos Kamateros , were among the Byzantine emperor ' s senior aides . Byzantine navy . The rank of " droungarios " was also used in the Byzantine navy to designate its admiral s . The droungarios tou [ basilikou ] ploïmou ( Greek : ) 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 Kibyrrhaiōtōn ( Greek : , one of the subordinate admirals of the Cibyrrhaeot Theme ) . The position of the " droungarios tou ploïmou " first occurs in the so - called " Taktikon Uspensky " of circa 842 , and the exact date of its establishment is unclear . The " droungarios " of the Imperial Fleet was raised to the rank of megas droungarios [ tou stolou ] ( " Grand Drungary [ of the Fleet ] " ) in the 11th century , acting as commander - in - chief of the entire Byzantine 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 fall of the Byzantine Empire . The variant rank of droungarokomēs ( Greek : δρουγγαροκόμης ) also existed , signifying a count ( " komēs " ) in command of a squadron of warships .