Like the exact functions of the office, the term phialē ("water-basin") is obscure; it could possibly refer to a location in the harbour of the imperial palace of Boukoleon.
Makamın tam özellikleri gibi, terim phialē ("su-havzası") belirsizdir; muhtemelen Bukoleon imparatorluk sarayının liman mevkisine işaret edebilir.