Der terminus προνοητησ in der Byzantinischen verwaltung

The article examines on the basis of the small number of essential literary and sigillographic evidence the scope and duties of the προνοηταí (as a terminus technicus) in the Byzantine administration. The earliest evidence comes from the 6th century, the latest from the 12th. Already in the Early Byzantine period the scope of their activities is fixed: administration of domains and municipal and fiscal administration. Acting in the capacity of stewards of private and official real estate these people were responsible for collecting and transmitting taxes to the responsible department, minus an allowance for themselves. Their colleagues in the municipal and provincial administration were revenue officers with special authority. In the provincial administration of the 11th the pronoetai were sometimes also άναγραφείς in their region. Till now we know only one example of a commander of a thema who was at the same time also a προνοητής (Eustathios Charsianites). The προνοηταί τού δημοσίου (scil. fiscus) were authorized to exact outstanding taxes. A special case is the προνοητής of the alms-house of Michael Attaleiates in Rhaidestos, because he was the highest administrator of all its estates and dependencies. Normally the προνοηταί were administrators of a lower rank in the domains, subject to the οίκονόμος or the κουράτωρ