Scholae

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Scholae is a Latin word that was used by the Romans to classify their Imperial Guards.

Originally a showpiece unit based around students at the University of Constantinople, sons of Senators and other functionaries surrounding the Emperor. The literal meaning of scholae is from the singular of Latin schola (school or group).

1 Roman Empire
2 Byzantine Empire
3 See also
- 3.1 Famous scholae
4 Sources

[edit] Roman Empire

While the singular schola still was used to refer to learning of singing and a mode of writing, the plural had an independent meaning. Next to the old kind of school, the Scholae Palatinae, was the training center of the imperial palace guard, also known as the Praetorians or Paladines. Also, the guilds of notarii (notars) called themselves one schola, or different scholae. In the 4th century, Pope Sylvester I (died 335) was said to have founded the schola cantorum, reformed by Pope Gregory (died 604), but there was an oral (ie. uncertain) tradition until the written proof for the foundation of this schola from the 8th century.

[edit] Byzantine Empire

During the Thematic period of the Byzantine Empire, the Scholae were reformed as an elite Kataphractoi Tagmata. Their commander was the Domestikos, the highest-ranking general in the Byzantine army, a position which occasionally led to becoming Emperor. Serving as a mounted guard unit for the Emperor, it became one of the most lethal units in the army. It is known to have been present at the Battle of Manzikert amongst others.

It had however been reduced in stature and military effectiveness by the time of the Komnenian Dynasty, mainly due to the generally poor state of the army, lack of funds, and reliance on foreign mercenaries. According to the Alexiad, by Anna Komnene, her father Alexios I Komnenos was Domestikos; by the end of his reign the unit had ceased to be fit for duty, with Alexius's preference for Latinkoi knights^{[citation needed]}, e.g. at the Battle of Dyrrhachium (1081)^{[citation needed]}.