The Family of Senachereim in the Late Byzantine Period (13th–15th c.): The Presence of its Members in the Administration and Society

The present paper investigates the role and presence of the members of the Senachereim family within the state apparatus, the army, the Church and, more broadly, in the Byzantine society from the 13th to 15th centuries—that is, following the already examined initial phase of the family’s establishment in Byzantium during the 11th century. The analysis seeks to elucidate the Senachereims’ integration and participation in Byzantine society, to assess their relationship with and loyalty to imperial institutions, and to trace and comment on the family’s discreet determination to preserve a sense of Armenian identity. Through the example of this prominent family of Armenian descent, the study aims to highlight the dynamics and processes of the assimilation and social advancement of Armenian subjects within the Byzantine Empire, despite the subtle or, at times, explicit caution towards them.