Page "Despotism" Paragraph 8

Although the word has a pejorative meaning nowadays, it was once a legitimate title of office in the Byzantine Empire.

Just as the word Byzantine is often used in a pejorative way, so the word despot now has equally negative connotations.

In fact, Despot was an Imperial title, first used under Manuel I Komnenos ( 1143 – 1180 ) who created it for his appointed heir Alexius-Béla.

According to Gyula Moravcsik, this title was a simple translation of Béla's Hungarian title úr, but other historians believe it comes from the ancient Greek despotes ( literally, the master ).

In the Orthodox Liturgy, if celebrated in Greek, the priest is addressed by the deacon as Despot even today.