(Latin for "most noble"), in Byzantine Greek (Greek: ),. was one of the highest imperial titles in the late Roman and Byzantine empires. The feminine form of the title was .
History and functions The term nobilissimus originated as an epithet to the title of Caesar, whose holder was the Roman and Byzantine emperor's heir-apparent and who would, after Geta in 198, be addressed nobilissimus Caesar.. According to the historian Zosimus, Emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306–337) first turned nobilissimus into a separate dignity, so as to honour some of his relatives without implying a claim to the imperial throne. The title thus came to be awarded to members of the imperial family, coming in rank immediately after that of Caesar, and remained so throughout the early and middle Byzantine period, until the mid-11th century. In the Klētorologion of Philotheos, written in 899, the rank's insignia are described as a purple tunic, mantle and belt, indicating the exalted position of its holder. Their award by the emperor in a special ceremony signified the elevation of the recipient to the office..
From the late 11th century, the title was given to senior army commanders, the future Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos being the first to be thus honoured. The inflation of its holders during the Komnenian period led to its devaluation, and the new titles of prōtonōbelissimos (πρωτονωβελίσσιμος, "first nobilissimus") and prōtonōbelissimohypertatos (πρωτονωβελισσιμοϋπέρτατος, "supreme first nobilissimus") were created in the 12th century, dropping nobilissimus from third to ninth in the new court hierarchy established by Alexios. nobilissimus puer referred to "most noble child".
Nobilissimi +List of Nobilissimi prior to the reforms of Alexios I KomnenosNameBirthTenureDeathEmperorNotesRefsFausta289307–324326Constantine the Great (wife)Nobilissima femina, promoted to AugustaFlavia Julia Constantia–324Constantine the Great (sister) Licinius (wife)Nobilissima feminaHannibalianus335–Constantine the Great (Nephew and son-in-law)'King of the Kings and of the Pontic Peoples' (Rex Regum et Ponticarum Gentium), murdered by Constantine's sonsVarronianus363–364?Jovian (son)Valentinianus Galates366–before 373Valens (son)Gratian359366–367383Valentinian I (son)promoted to AugustusGalla Placidia392/3–421450Theodosius I (daughter)Nobilissima puella, promoted to AugustaValentinian III419421/3–424455Honorius (nephew)promoted to Caesar, later Augustus (425)Justinian I482525565Justin (nephew and adopted son)Ipromoted to Caesar, later Augustus (527)Martinos638–639641?Heraclius (fourth son)promoted to CaesarNiketas769–780Constantine V (fourth son)Exiled to monastery for plotting against their nephew Constantine VIEudokimos–799Constantine V (fifth son)Anthimos–799Constantine V (sixth son)Constantine–1042Michael IV the Paphlagonian (brother)blinded by his nephew Michael V KalaphatesBagrat IV of Georgia1018–10601072Constantine IX MonomachosKing of Georgia, promoted to SebastosGeorge II of Georgiac. 10501072–?112Michael VII DoukasKing of Georgia, promoted to SebastosRobert Guiscardc. 10151074–10781085Michael VII DoukasBetrothed his daughter Olympias to Doukas' sonConstantineJohnNikephoros III BotaneiatesDomestic of the Schools of the EastTzachas–10811093Nikephoros III BotaneiatesAlexios Komnenosc. 105710781118Nikephoros III BotaneiatesDomestic of the Schools of the west, promoted to Sebastos, later emperor (1081)
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