| Theme of the Optimatoi Ὀπτιμάτοι, θέμα Ὀπτιμάτων | |
|---|---|
| Theme of the Byzantine Empire | |
| 740s–1204 1240–15th century | |
 Map of the administrative structure of the Byzantine Empire c. 780. The thema of the Optimatoi is located in the peninsula directly across the Bosporus, opposite Constantinople. | |
| Capital | Nicomedia (modern-day İzmit, Kocaeli, Turkey) |
| Historical era | Middle Ages |
• Established | 744/745 |
| ca. 1204 | |
• Byzantine recovery | 1240 |
• Conquest by Ottomans | 15th century |
The Optimatoi (Greek: Ὀπτιμάτοι, from Latin: Optimates, "the Best Men") were initially formed as an elite Byzantine military unit. In the mid-8th century, however, they were downgraded to a supply and logistics corps and assigned a province (thema) in north-western Asia Minor, which was named after them. As an administrative unit, the Theme of the Optimatoi (θέμα Ὀπτιμάτων, thema Optimatōn) survived until the Ottoman conquest in the first decades of the 14th century.