and the empire, depends on the titles and
offices which are bestowed and resumed by his arbitrary will. Above a
thousand years, from Vespasian to Alexius Comnenus, the _Caesar_ was the
second person, or at least the second degree, after the supreme title of
_Augustus_ was more freely communicated to the sons and brothers of the
reigning monarch. To elude without violating his promise to a powerful
associate, the husband of his sister, and, without giving himself an
equal, to reward the piety of his brother Isaac, the crafty Alexius
interposed a new and supereminent dignity. The happy flexibility of the
Greek tongue allowed him to compound the names of Augustus and Emperor
(Sebastos and Autocrator,) and the union produces the sonorous title of
_Sebastocrator_. He was exalted above the Caesar on the first step of
the throne: the public acclamations repeated his name; and he was only
distinguished from the sovereign by some peculiar ornaments of the head
and feet. The emperor alone could assume the purple or red buskins, and
the close diadem or tiara, which imitated the fashion of the Persian
kings. It was a high pyramidal cap of cloth or silk, almost concealed by
a profusion of pearls and jewels: the crown was formed by a horizontal
circle and two arches of gold: at the summit, the point of their
intersection, was placed a globe or cross, and two strings or lappets
of pearl depended on either cheek. Instead of red, the buskins of the
Sebastocrator and Caesar were green; and on their _open_ coronets or
crowns, the precious gems were more sparingly distributed. Beside and
below the Caesar the fancy of Alexius created the _Panhypersebasto_
and the _Protosebastos_, whose sound and signification will satisfy a
Grecian ear. They imply a superiority and a priority above the simple
name of Augustus; and this sacred and primitive title of the Roman
prince was degraded to the kinsmen and servants of the Byzantine court.
The daughter of Alexius applauds, with fond complacency, this artful
gradation of hopes and honors; but the science of words is accessible
to the meanest capacity; and this vain dictionary was easily enriched
by the pride of his successors. To their favorite sons or brothers,
they imparted the more lofty appellation of Lord or _Despot_, which was
illustrated with new ornaments, and prerogatives, and placed immediately
after the person of the emperor himself. The five titles of, 1. _Despot_;
2. _Sebastocrator_; 3. _Cae