History Commons^™

The Chartophylax: Archivist And Librarian To The Patriarch In Constantinople, Jeffrey M. Wehmeyer

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Chartophylax was the title given to the archivist/librarians who served in the adminstration of the Orthodox Church during the Byzantine Empire. By the 9th century, the position of chartophylax to the Patriarch in Constantinople had become one of the most important in the patriarchal administration. This article describes the duties of the chartophylax in Constantinople as they developed from the 5th through the 15th centuries; it also examines some of the reasons for the rise in prominence of this position.