bandon
Byzantine military and administrative term. It originally meant flags, the banners of military units. It then indicated a part of the tourma and a small military unit (50-100 people in case of mountain troops and 200-400 in case of infantry). Gradually the term carried an administrative meaning as well, indicating a division of the theme. In the Empire of Trebizond it indicated the administrative territory.

emir
(from Arabic amir) Emir meaning "commander" or "general", later also "prince". Also a high title of nobility or office in some Turkic historical states.

province
An administrative unit in the Roman and Byzantine Empire. Established in the Roman Empire it is radically reformed by Diocletian, who abolishes the distinction between imperial and senatorial provinces and increases their number by dividing large provinces into smaller ones. Moreover, Diocletian divided the State into 12 dioceses, which included groups of provinces. Administrative reformations in the Byzantine era further increased the number of provinces while reducing their size. Provinces survived until the emrgence of the administrative system of the themes, around 7th c. However the term appears on commerciarii seals until the 9th c., and in written sources of the 11th-12th c. as a synonym of the theme.

Synekdemos of Hierokles
A geographical text book composed a little before 535 by Hierokles the Grammarian. It constitutes a list of 64 provinces and 923 (originally 935) cities of the Empire, being the most important source for the administrative and political geography of the Byzantine Empire prior to the Arab raids. It is assumed to have been based on state documents, and presents the political, administrative, and, to an extent, the ecclesiastical geography from mid-5th c. However, it contains additions from the age of Justinian I, while some of its evidence is still under discussion. Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos used it as a major source, along with Stephen of Byzantium, for the composition of the work “De thematibus”. This most important work of Hierokles was published by G. Parthey (Hieroclis Synecdemus, Berlin, 1866), and A. Burckhardt (Hieroclis Synecdemus, Leipzig, 1893). The last and most authoritative edition is E. Honigmann (ed.), Le Synekdèmos d'Hiéroklès et l'opuscule géographique de Georges de Chypre (Brussels 1939).

theme
A Byzantine term that signifies wide military and administrative units under the administration of a strategos (general). The institution was consolidated in the 7th century and was characteristic for the organization and the division of Byzantine Empire at the Middle Byzantine period. The term applies also to the army unit that resided in each administrative unit and was staffed by farmer-soldiers. The thematic system was maintained until the end of Byzantine period. However, in the Later Byzantine period it was used in order to declare mostly tax units.

tourma
(lat. turma, meaning squadron) Administrative division of a theme in the Middle Byzantine period. A tourma was further subdivised into droungoi and banda.