Leichoudes’ pronoia of the Mangana

Abstract

Leichoudes held the pronoia of the Mangana. In this case that means that he was a pronoetes of an imperial estate, in latin a curator domus divinae. The pronoia thus implies that he held an emphyteutic lease. He held it twice between 1042 and 1050 and then again in 1057–1059, while he was mesazon. He gave back the pronoia to the emperor in 1059 because of an objection raised within the synod. Someone seems to have noticed that the pronoia would be unacceptable with his new role as patriarch. This may be due to canonical restrictions imposed on higher clergy in relation to revenue and sales of property, which would be contrary to the terms of an emphyteutic lease. Therefore, the pronoia of the Mangana was a kouratoreia, the administration of an imperial estate and Leichoudes was a curator domus divinae.