Map of the administrative structure of the Byzantine Empire c. 780. The thema of the Optimatoi is located in the peninsula directly across the Bosporus, opposite Constantinople.
Capital
Nicomedia (modern-day İzmit, Kocaeli, Turkey)
Historical era
Middle Ages
• Established
744/745
• Latin conquest
ca. 1204
• Byzantine recovery
1240
• Conquest by Ottomans
15th century
The Optimatoi (Greek: Ὀπτιμάτοι, from Latin: Optimates, "the Best Men") were initially formed as an elite Byzantine military unit. In the mid-8th century, however, they were downgraded to a supply and logistics corps and assigned a province (thema) in north-western Asia Minor, which was named after them. As an administrative unit, the Theme of the Optimatoi (θέμα Ὀπτιμάτων, thema Optimatōn) survived until the Ottoman conquest in the first decades of the 14th century.
The Optimatoi (Greek: Ὀπτιμάτοι, from Latin: Optimates, "the Best Men") were initially formed as an elite Byzantine military unit. In the mid-8th century...
746–47. From the 840s on, Nicomedia was the capital of the thema of the Optimatoi. By that time, most of the old, seawards city had been abandoned and is...
building in Constantinople, possibly from Latin Magna Aula, "Great Hall" Optimatoi, a military unit Patrikios, the Patrician caste Phelonion, a liturgical...
domesticates formed from the elite corps of the old army, such as the Optimatoi and Boukellarioi, both terms dating back to the recruitment of Gothic...
emperor Maurice, where it is reserved for the commander of the elite Optimatoi mercenary corps. In the 10th-century, the term was revived and refers...
major subdivision of a thema. The army of each thema (except for the Optimatoi) was divided into two to four tourmai, and each tourma further into a...
foederati in parts of Asia Minor. Their descendants, who formed the elite Optimatoi regiment, still lived there in the early 8th century. While they were...
Housecarl Komnenian army Leidang Mamluk Manglabites New England (medieval) Optimatoi Piraeus Lion (inscription made by Swedish Varangians) Swedes (Germanic...
Artabasdos, the Count of the Opsikion. The new theme, along with that of the Optimatoi was split off from the Opsikion as formed part of the Emperor's policy...
based on a better exemplar he may have actually been domestikos of the Optimatoi rather than of the Hikanatoi Pankratoukas, under Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912)...
Bithynia and Pontus was reorganized into the Bucellarian, Opsikion, and Optimatoi themes. List of Roman governors of Bithynia and Pontus Kingdom of Pontus...
Bosporus. Provintia Optimati. the province of Optimatoi Emperor Northern Asia Minor The theme of the Optimatoi encompassed the parts of Asia Minor closest...
Τειχέων, tōn Teicheōn), manning the Walls of Constantinople., and the Optimatoi (Gr. Ὀπτιμάτοι, "the Best"), a support unit responsible for the mules...
the Hikanatoi and the Noumeroi, as well as, uniquely, the thema of the Optimatoi, were led by a domestikos. To them was added the short-lived tagma of...
Antique terminology and titulature that survived: the spatharioi and optimatoi date from the 6th century, while the exkoubitai, the praitorion and the...
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