The parakoimōmenos (Greek: παρακοιμώμενος, literally "the one who sleeps beside [the Byzantine emperor's chamber]") was a Byzantine court position, usually reserved for eunuchs. Many of its holders, especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, functioned as the Byzantine Empire's chief ministers.
The office was used anachronistically by various Byzantine writers for prominent eunuch officials all the way back to Euphratas under Emperor Constantine I (r. 324–337), the notorious Chrysaphius under Emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450), or Michael under Emperor Maurice (r. 582–602), but it was most probably created in the 7th century. It is first attested securely only under Emperor Leo IV the Khazar (r. 775–780), when Theophanes the Confessor records the existence of three "koubikoularioi and parakoimomenoi".[1][2][3] In the beginning, it was a modest office, given to those koubikoularioi — the eunuch servants of the Byzantine emperor's "sacred bedchamber" (Latin: sacrum cubiculum) — who were tasked with sleeping outside the Byzantine emperor's chamber during the night as a security measure. As evidenced by seals from the 7th and 8th centuries, it was usually combined with other palace functions, such as the epi tēs trapezēs, and its holders held lowly dignities such as ostiarios.[1][2] It is possible that in the cases where several Byzantine emperors reigned at the same time, a parakoimōmenos would be assigned to each.[4]
From the mid-9th century, however, the office grew in importance, outstripping its nominal superior, the praipositos, until it came to be regarded as the highest post reserved for eunuchs, with its holders raised to the dignity of patrikios. Many of its holders, some of whom were not eunuchs, were able to use their proximity to the imperial person to exercise considerable influence. Especially during the reigns of weak or disinterested Byzantine emperors, men like Samonas, Joseph Bringas and Basil Lekapenos functioned as chief ministers, while Emperor Basil the Macedonian (r. 867–886) was able to use this position to eventually usurp the throne from Emperor Michael III (r. 842–867).[1][5]
By the 11th century, it had assumed most of the old administrative functions of the praipositos as well. The post continued to be important in the 11th century, when it was still mostly held by eunuchs. In the 12th century, it had become an honorary dignity rather than an actual office, and was awarded to important court officials, including non-eunuchs.[6] It nevertheless survived into the Palaiologan period, where it was divided into the parakoimōmenos tou koitōnos (Greek: παρακοιμώμενος τοῦ κοιτῶνος), ranking 17th in the imperial hierarchy, retaining the duties of the koitōn (the imperial bedchamber) and the parakoimōmenos tēs sphendonēs (Greek: παρακοιμώμενος τῆς σφενδόνης), ranking 16th and being responsible for the sphendonē, the ring with the Byzantine emperor's personal seal. The two titles came to be seen more as honorary dignities and not as actual offices by the 14th century, and most of their holders were non-eunuch high officials, like Alexios Apokaukos.[1][7]