Hagiotheodorites

Hagiotheodorites (Greek: Ἁγιοθεοδωρίτης) was the name of one of the principal Byzantine aristocratic families of the 13th century. They rose to prominence through the patronage of Theodore II Laskaris, being one of his New Men, and were often bound to the civilian and ecclesiastical bureaucracy at Constantinople. The feminine form of the name is Hagiotheodoritissa.
==History==
The family's origins lie in the early 12th century, under the patronage of the Komnenid Emperors. Since their first appearance, the Hagiotheodoritoi have been civil and religious functionaries in the Byzantine Empire. The brothers Michael and John Hagiotheodorites were important courtiers favored by Manuel I Komnenos and rose to the highest offices, but the family became irrelevant once Manuel I passed away and the Komnenids collapsed five years later.
In the mid thirteenth century John Hagiotheodorites was made emperor Theodore II's Logothete of the Course, at the head of Byzantine post and intelligence and the senior officer in the Bureau of Barbarians. He was married to Euphrosyne, George Mouzalon's sister, and their children enjoyed privileged positions at the imperial court. One of their sons, Theodosios Hagiotheodorites, was an imperial page and died in the defense of his childhood friend John IV Laskaris, during Michael Palaiologos' coup. The family declined in importance thereafter, but are still prominent officials based out of Constantinople.
Category:Byzantine families