age
of the Komnenoi, the upper social class consisted of aristocratic families
and high-ranking officials. Many were large-scale landowners who
saw their power increase in the 12th century. Their income came
from land and from the state offices they held.
Most of them lived in the cities and visited their estates only in the
harvest period.
The highest rank in the court aristocracy belonged to core of officials surrounding the family of the emperor. The grade of kinship with the imperial family determined also the grade of the office. The direct descendants of the emperor and members of their families, such as the Kontostephanoi and the Palaiologoi, who were connected with the imperial house, were the highest office holders. Directly below, there were the families occupying positions of public servants, such as the Kamateroi, the Xeroi, the Xiphilinoi and the Zonarades. Then there were those dependent on the favour of the emperor; eunuchs or foreigners belonging to the personal retinue of the emperor.
Being part of the emperorīs personal retinue often paved the way for higher court offices. Typical is the example of the Petraliphas family. Its roots can be traced back to Norman fortune-hunters who entered the service of Alexios Komnenos. His offspring settled in Didymoteichon in Thrace and the career of Alexios Petraliphas in the service of the emperor paved the way for the rise of his family. Thus, at the end of the 12th century, the Petraliphas family was one of the most important families in the Empire.
Another example is that of Demetrios Tornikes. He was descended from an old family that had abandoned Constantinople and settled in Thebes when they lost their belongings. Demetrios Tornikes grew up in the company of the grandsons of Anna Komnene. Later he entered her service, a post that gave him a brilliant career; he reached the office of the logothetes tou dromou, that is he became minister of foreign affairs.