The Byzantine Army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine Navy. A direct descendant of the legions of the old Roman Empire, the Byzantine Army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization. For much of its history in fact, the Byzantine Army was the most powerful and effective military force in all of Europe. The Byzantine Dromon, the heaviest ship in the Byzantine fleet, capable of carrying up to 50 Marines. ... A modern reconstruction of a Roman centurion around 70 A modern reconstruction of a Roman miles, (10-240) The Roman legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army. ...

Foreign and mercenary soldiers

Coin of emperor Basil II, founder of the Varangian Guard.

Throughout its 1,123 years of existence, from the foundation of Constantinople as the capital of the empire on May 11, 330, to the fall of the city on May 29, 1453, the Byzantine army employed troops from many different nationalities and ethnic groups. These troops often supplemented or assisted the empire's regular forces; at times, they even formed the bulk of the Byzantine army. But for most of the Byzantine army's long history, foreign and military soldiers reflected the wealth and might of the Byzantine empire, for the emperor who was able to gather together armies from all corners of the known world was formidable indeed. Image File history File links Nicephorus II, Phocas, with Basil II. 963-969 AD. AV Solidus (now the Histamenon Nomisma) (4. ... Image File history File links Nicephorus II, Phocas, with Basil II. 963-969 AD. AV Solidus (now the Histamenon Nomisma) (4. ... Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ... Map of Constantinople. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Byzantine Empire (native Greek name: - Basileia tōn Romaiōn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ...

Foreign troops during the late Roman period were known as the foederati ("allies"), and continued to be known as such until about the ninth century (although the title had by then been Hellenized to Phoideratoi (Gr. Φοιδεράτοι). From this point, foreign troops (mainly mercenaries) were known as the Hetaireiai(Gr. Εταιρείαι, "Companions") and most frequently employed in the Imperial Guard. This force was in turn divided into the Great Companions (Μεγάλη Εταιρεία), the Middle Companions (Μέση Εταιρεία), and the Minor Companions (Μικρά Εταιρεία), commanded by their respective Hetaireiarches. These may have been divided upon a religious basis separating the Christian subjects, Christian foreigners, and non-Christians, respectively.^[1] Foederatus early in the history of the Roman Republic identified one of the tribes bound by treaty (foedus), who were neither Roman colonies nor had they been granted Roman citizenship (civitas) but were expected to provide a contingent of fighting men when trouble arose. ... The Praetorian Guard of Caesar Augustus - 1st century. ...

Additionally, during the Komnenian period, the mercenary units would simply be divided by ethnicity and called after their native lands: the Inglinoi (Englishmen), the Phragkoi (Franks), the Skythikoi (Scythians), the Latinikoi (Latins), and so on. Ethiopians even served during the reign of Theophilos. These mercenary units, especially the Skythikoi, were also often used as a police force in Constantinople. Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos The Komnenos or Comnenus (Greek: Κομνηνοί) family was an important dynasty in the history of the Byzantine Empire. ... Theophilus (813 - 842) was Byzantine emperor from 829 to 842. ...

The most famous of all Byzantine regiments was the legendary Varangian Guard. This unit traced its roots to the 6,000 Rus sent to Emperor Basil II by Vladimir of Kiev in 988. The tremendous fighting abilities of these axe-wielding, barbarian Northerners and their intense loyalty (bought with much gold) established them as an elite body, which soon rose to become the Emperors' personal bodyguard. This is further exemplified by the title of their commander, Akolouthos (Ακόλουθος, "Acolyte" to the Emperor). Initially the Varangians were mostly of Rus origin, but later many Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons (after the Norman Conquest) entered the Guard. The Varangian Guard fought at the Battle of Beroia in 1122 with great distinction, and were present at the Battle of Sirmium in 1167, in which the Byzantine army smashed the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Varangian Guard is thought to have been disbanded after the sack of Constantinople by the forces of the Fourth Crusade in 1204; significantly, they were the only unit to successfully defend a part of Constantinople against the Crusader assault. The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ... Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... Detail of the Millenium of Russia monument in Novgorod (1862) representing St Vladimir and his family. ... Events Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev marries Anna, sister of Byzantine emperor Basil II and converts to Christianity. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... Combatants Byzantines Pechenegs Commanders Emperor John II Komnenos Unknown Strength Unknown, perhaps 10,000-20,000 Unknown, perhaps equal to the Byzantines at 10,000-20,000 Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Beroia (modern Stara Zagora) was fought between the Pechenegs and emperor John II Komnenos of the Byzantine... Combatants Byzantines, supported by Cuman, Italian and Serbian units Hungarians Commanders Andronikos Kontostephanos Unknown Strength Unknown, perhaps 25,000 - 40,000 Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown, likely quite heavy The Battle of Sirmium was fought on July 8, 1167 between the Byzantine Empire, (also known as Eastern Roman), and the Kingdom... The Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ... Map of Constantinople. ... The Fourth Crusade (1201–1204), originally designed to conquer Jerusalem through an invasion of Egypt, instead, in 1204, invaded and conquered the Eastern Orthodox city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. ... // Events February - Byzantine emperor Alexius IV is overthrown in a revolution, and Alexius V is proclaimed emperor. ...

Other troop types

Kataphraktoi

A Sarmatian cataphract. The Byzantines maintained the tradition of the heavily armed and armoured cataphract well into the middle ages.

The word cataphract (from the Greek κατάφρακτος, kataphraktos) was what Greek- and later Latin-speaking peoples used to describe their heavy cavalry. Historically the cataphract was a heavily-armed and armoured cavalryman who saw action from the earliest days of Antiquity up through the High Middle Ages. Originally, the term cataphract referred to a type of armour worn to cover the whole body and that of the horse. Eventually the term described the trooper himself. The cataphracts were both fearsome and disciplined. Both man and horse were heavily armoured, the riders equipped with lances, bows and maces. These troops were slow compared to other cavalry, but their effect on the battlefield, particularly under the Emperor Nikephoros I, was devastating. A more heavily armoured unit of cataphracts called the clibanarii (klibanaphoroi). These were eventually subsumed by the cataphract, and as such most Byzantine heavy cavalry became known as cataphracts. Image File history File links // Описание/Description ru Плита с изображением всадника (II век н. э.) Мрамор 40Ñ…35 см. Танаис. На всаднике, изображённом на плите, одежда сарматского дружинника-воина: длинный чешуйчатый панцирь, широкий пояс, развевающейся плащ, сколотый на плече фибулой, шаровары, заправленные в высокие мягкие сапожки, конусовидной формы шлем. Ð’ руках он держит длинное копьё. Всадник - историческое лицо, наместник боспорского царя в Танаисе Трифон, о чём говорит посвятительная греческая надпись на плите. en Marble block with the image of a horseman (2nd century A.D.) Marble 40Ñ…35 cm, from the ancient city of Tanais on the Don. ... Image File history File links // Описание/Description ru Плита с изображением всадника (II век н. э.) Мрамор 40Ñ…35 см. Танаис. На всаднике, изображённом на плите, одежда сарматского дружинника-воина: длинный чешуйчатый панцирь, широкий пояс, развевающейся плащ, сколотый на плече фибулой, шаровары, заправленные в высокие мягкие сапожки, конусовидной формы шлем. Ð’ руках он держит длинное копьё. Всадник - историческое лицо, наместник боспорского царя в Танаисе Трифон, о чём говорит посвятительная греческая надпись на плите. en Marble block with the image of a horseman (2nd century A.D.) Marble 40Ñ…35 cm, from the ancient city of Tanais on the Don. ... Sarmatia Europæa separated from Sarmatia Asiatica by the Tanais (the River Don), based on Greek literary sources, in a map printed in London, ca 1770. ... Sarmatian Cataphracts The word cataphract (from the Greek κατάφρακτος) was what Greek- and later Latin-speaking peoples used to describe heavy cavalry. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... It has been suggested that Greco-Roman be merged into this article or section. ... The cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, a significant architectural contribution of the High Middle Ages. ... Nikephoros I and his son and successor, Stauracius. ...

Cavalry

Deployment of the armies in the Battle of Dara (530), in which Byzantium employed various foreign mercenary soldiers, including the Huns.

The Byzantine cavalry were the disciplined, armoured successors to the Roman legions. Usually armed with bows, lances and swords, they were ideally suited to combat on the plains of Anatolia and northern Syria, which, from the seventh century onwards, constituted the principle battleground in the struggle against the forces of Islam. While not as heavily armed and armoured as western Knights, they were particularly effective against both the Arabs and Turks in the east, and the Hungarians and Pechenegs in the west. Image File history File links Battle_of_Dara-battleplan. ... Image File history File links Battle_of_Dara-battleplan. ... For other uses, see Dara (disambiguation). ... The Huns were a confederation of Eurasian tribes of diverse origin who appeared in Europe in the 4th century. ... Asia Minor lies east of the Bosporus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Pechenegs or Patzinaks, also known as Besenyők, were a semi-nomadic steppes people of Central Asia that spoke a Turkic language. ...

Infantry

The Byzantine Empire's military tradition originated in the late Roman period, and its armies always included professional infantry soldiers. Though they varied in relative importance during the Byzantine army's history, under Basil II in particular heavy infantry were an important compenent of the Byzantine army. These troops generally had mail armour, large shields, and were armed with swords and spears. Under militarily competent emperors such as Basil II, they were among the best heavy infantry in the world. Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... David rejects the unaccustomed armour (detail of fol. ...

Pronoiars

Pronoiar troops began to appear during the twelfth century, particularly during the reign of the emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180). These were soldiers paid in land instead of money, but they did not operate under the old theme system of the middle Byzantine period. Pronoiai developed into essentially a license to tax the citizens who lived within the boundaries of the grant (the paroikoi). Pronoiars (those who had been granted a pronoia) became something like tax collectors, who were allowed to keep some of the revenue they collected. These men are therefore generally considered to have been the Byzantine equivalent of western knights: part soldiers, part local rulers. However, it is important to note that the emperor was still the legal owner of the Pronoiars' land. Usually cavalry, pronoiars would have been equipped with mail armour, lances, and horse barding. Manuel re-equipped his heavy cavalry in western style at some point during his reign; it is likely that many of these troops would have been pronoiars. These troops became particularly common after 1204, in the service of the Empire of Nicaea in western Asia Minor. Manuel I Komnenos, or Comnenus, (Greek: Μανουήλ Α Κομνηνός, ManouÄ“l I KomnÄ“nos), November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ... The themata in 950. ... The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the states founded by refugees from the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople was conquered during the Fourth Crusade. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to...

Armies of the early Byzantine Empire

Just as the Byzantine Empire (Gr. Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία or, more properly, Βασιλεία Ρωμαίων) was a continuation of the Roman Empire, so the Byzantine army was an outgrowth of the earlier Roman structure. Provinces (provinciae) were originally under civilian jurisdiction, with governors appointed by the Roman Senate or by the emperor himself; the army consisted of thirty-odd legions quartered along the inhabited borders of the empire. The old Roman systems lasted until the early 7th century. Byzantine Empire (native Greek name: - Basileia tōn Romaiōn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... Soldiers of the Roman Army (on manoeuvres in Nashville, Tennessee) Rome was a militarized state whose history was often closely entwined with its military history over the 1228 years that the Roman state is traditionally said to have existed. ... The Roman Senate (Latin, Senatus) was a deliberative body which was important in the government of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. ... Roman Emperor is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

Reforms of the army under Diocletian and Constantine

Emperor Constantine I.

The Eastern Empire dates from the creation of the Tetrarchy ("Quadrumvirate") by the Emperor Diocletian in 293. His plans for succession did not outlive his lifetime, but his reorganization of the army did by centuries. Rather than maintain the traditional infantry-heavy legions, Diocletian reformed it into limitanei ("border") and comitatenses ("field") units. There was an expansion of the importance of the cavalry, though the infantry still remained the major component of the Roman armies, in contrary to common belief. For example, in 478, an Eastern field army consisted of 8,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry and it can be calculated that in 357 Emperor Julian had 10,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry at Strasbourg. But the importance of cavalry for the commanding officers, though not the numbers, did increase, and by the time of Justinian, the numbers had increased, too. Precisely why and when is unknown, but this was surely assisted by the introduction and development of the saddle and the stirrup in the early Dark Ages and by the development of horses on the Iranian plateau sturdy enough to carry a man in full armor. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (730x828, 231 KB) Constantin I, Rome Bronze head of Constantine I, Musei Capitolini, Rome Version source:[1] Photographe: Photo by Anthony Majanlahti [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (730x828, 231 KB) Constantin I, Rome Bronze head of Constantine I, Musei Capitolini, Rome Version source:[1] Photographe: Photo by Anthony Majanlahti [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... The Tetrarchs, a porphyry sculpture sacked from a Byzantine palace in 1204, Treasury of St. ... Emperor Diocletian. ... Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... Flavius Claudius Iulianus, also known as Julian the Apostate, was the last Pagan Roman Emperor. ... See: A saddle is a seat for a rider fastened to a horses back. ... Haniwa horse statuette, complete with saddle and stirrups, 6th century, Kofun period, Japan. ... The Iranian plateau is major geologic formation in the Middle East and the southern Eurasian Plate. ...

The limitanei units were to occupy the limes, the Roman border fortifications. The field units, by contrast, were to stay well behind the border and move quickly where they were needed, whether for offensive or defensive roles, as well as forming an army against usurpers. The field units were held to high standards and took precedence over Limitanei in pay and provisions. The limes Germanicus, 2nd century. ...

Cavalry formed about 1/3 of the units, but as a result of smaller units, about 1/4 of the Roman armies consisted of cavalry. About half the cavalry consisted of heavy cavalry, wearing varying names: scutarii, promoti and stablesiani to name some. They were basically armed with spear or lance and sword and armored in mail. Some had bows, but they were meant for supporting the charge instead of independent skirmishing. In the field armies there was a component of some 15% of cataphracti or clibanarii, heavily armoured cavalry who used shock tactics. There were also horse archers (Equites Sagitarii) and several sorts of light cavalry. The light cavalry featured high amongst the limitanei, being very useful troops on patrol. The infantry of the comitatenses was organized in regiments (inconsequently named legio, auxilia or just numerus) of about 1,200 men. They were still the heavy infantry of old, with a spear, sword, body armour and a helmet. But now each regiment was supported by a detachmment of archers and some skirmishers. But if needed, the infantry could lay off (some of) their armour to act in a more flexible way as Modares did (according to Zosimus) during the Gothic War of the 370s. The regiments were commanded by a tribunus ("tribune") and brigaded in pairs (cavalry units did, too) under a comes. These brigades probably were tactical and strategic units only, as no traces survive of brigade staff corps. Sarmatian Cataphracts The word cataphract (from the Greek κατάφρακτος) was what Greek- and later Latin-speaking peoples used to describe heavy cavalry. ... The Clibanarii (from the Latin, clibani, meaning campoven) were a late Roman and Byzantine military unit of heavy armored horsemen. ... For the pope of this name see Pope Zosimus Zosimus, Greek historical writer, nourished at Constantinople during the second half of the 5th century A.D. According to Photius, he was a count, and held the office of advocate of the imperial treasury. ... The Gothic War, 535–552, was the expression of Justinians decision in 535 to reverse the course of events of the past century in the West and win back for the Eastern Roman Empire the provinces of Italy that had been lost, first to Odoacer and then to the... Centuries: 3rd century - 4th century - 5th century Decades: 320s - 330s - 340s - 350s - 360s - 370s - 380s - 390s - 400s - 410s - 420s Years: 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 Events: Categories: 370s ... Comes (genitive: comitis) is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus (compare comitatenses), especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. ...

On the other hand, little is known of the liminatei. The old legions, cohorts and cavalry alae survived there, and newer units were created (the new legions, or auxilia and vexhillationes, amongst the cavalry. Possibly the limitanei infantry was lighter-equipped than the comitatenses infantry, but again, there is no evidence whatsoever. They were paid less than the field troops and recruited locally. Consequently, they were of inferior quality. However, they were in the line of fire. They countered most incursions and raids. Thus, it can be assumed they did have superior field experience (except in periods of long campaigning for the comitatenses), though that experience did not extend to large battles and sieges. Cohort may mean: Cohort (military unit), a Roman legion. ... Ala, Alares, Alarii. ... Comitatenses is the Latin plural of comitatensis, originally the adjective derived from comitatus (company, party, suite; in this military context it came to the novel meaning of the field army), itself rooting in Comes (companion, but hence specific historical meanings, military and civilian). ...

Scholae units, which were more properly known as the Schola Protectores Domestici and the "Protective Association of the Royal Escort" (also called the Obsequium), were the personal guard of the Emperor, and were created to replace the Praetorian Guard disbanded by Constantine I. The Praetorian Guard of Caesar Augustus - 1st century. ... Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on...

The legions in the third and fourth century were not the legions of the Republic or earlier Roman empire, that they consisted largely or solely of equites troops, and that they tended to be far short of the Augustinian legion component of 5,000 men.

Army of Justinian I and his successors

Armies of the middle Byzantine period

Themata

Main article: Thema

The themata system in 650s.

Usually attributed to Heraclius, but actually initiated by his successor Constans II on the model of the Italian and African exarchates, the thema (Gr. θέματα) were administrative divisions of the empire in which a general (Gr. στρατηγός*) exercised both civilian and military jurisdiction. The name is peculiar; Treadgold's closest guess is that thema was being used to denote "emplacements". The themata in 950. ... Image File history File links Byzantine_Empire_Themata-650. ... Image File history File links Byzantine_Empire_Themata-650. ... Centuries: 6th century 7th century 8th century Decades: 600s - 610s - 620s - 630s - 640s - 650s - 660s - 670s - 680s - 690s - 700s Years: 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 Events: Buddhism introduced to Tibet Caliph Othman puts Muhammads teachings (the Quran) into 114 chapters Categories: 650s... Heraclius and his sons Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas. ... Constans and his son Constantine. ... In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was an essentially military viceroy who governed a part of the empire at some remove from the central (oriental) authorities, the Emperor and the Patriarch of Constantinople. ... The themata in 950. ... The term strategos (plural strategoi; Greek στρατηγός) is used in Greek to mean general. In the hellenistic and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor. ...

The five original themata were all in Asia Minor and designed to counter the Arab jihad that had already consumed the Egyptian and Syrian provinces. They were: Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Djehad or Cihad, (Arabic: ‎ ) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle. ...

• Thema Armeniakon (Αρμενιακόν), formed around the Army of Armenia established by Justinian I, comprising eastern Anatolia from Cappadocia to the Black Sea and the Euphrates;
• Thema Anatolikon (Ανατολικόν), formed around the Army of the East, comprising the Byzantine holdings in central and southeastern Asia Minor;
• Thema Opsikion (Οψίκιον), formed around the Obsequium ("Retinue"), a comitatensis force previously kept in the presence of the emperor, comprising Bithynia and Paphlagonia;
• Thema Thrakesion (Θρακήσιον), formed around the Army of Thrace, comprising south-western Asia Minor around Ionia; and
• Thema Karabisianon (Καραβησιάνων), the "Theme of Ships" in Pamphylia and Rhodos, which was a naval theme responsible for fending off the Arab navy.

Within each theme, eligible men were given grants of land to support their families and to equip themselves (πρόνοια). The population of the first four were directed into the army; Karabisianon supplied the men for the navy, although shipbuilding itself was subsidized (intermittantly) by various departments of the Imperial treasury. The pattern was adopted in short order for the Empire's holdings in the West as well. Justinian I depicted on one of the famous mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale. ... Cappadocia in 188 BC In ancient geography, Cappadocia (Greek: Καππαδοκία; see also List of traditional Greek place names; Turkish Kapadokya) was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). ... The Byzantine Dromon, the heaviest ship in the Byzantine fleet, capable of carrying up to 50 Marines. ...

The themata system in 950s.

Following revolts strengthened by the large size of these divisions, Leo III the Isaurian, Theophilus, and Leo VI the Wise all responded by breaking the themes up into smaller areas and dividing control over the armies within each theme into various tourmai. Further, instead of expanding existing themes, the emperors of the resurgent Macedonian dynasty tended to create new ones in the areas they conquered. By the time of the writing of De Thematibus in the tenth century, Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus listed twenty-eight themata. Image File history File links Byzantine_Empire_Themata-950. ... Image File history File links Byzantine_Empire_Themata-950. ... Centuries: 9th century - 10th century - 11th century Decades: 900s - 910s - 920s - 930s - 940s - 950s - 960s - 970s - 980s - 990s - 1000s Years: 950 951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 Events Category: ... :For homonyms, see Leo III Leo the Isaurian and his son Constantine V. Leo III the Isaurian (c. ... Various people have been known by the name Theophilus. ... The Byzantines considered themselves the true Romans. ... Basil I the Macedonian (Βασίλειος Α) (811 - 886, ruled 867 - 886) - married Michael IIIs widow; died in hunting accident Leo VI the Wise (Λέων ΣΤ ο Σοφός) (866 - 912, ruled 886 - 912) – likely either son of Basil I or Michael III; Alexander III (Αλέξανδρος Γ του Βυζαντίου) (870 - 913, ruled 912 - 913) – son of Basil I, regent for nephew... Constantine and his mother Zoë. Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos (the Purple-born) (905 – November 9, 959) was the son of Byzantine emperor Leo VI and nephew of Alexander III. He earned his nickname as the legitimate (or more accurately legitimized) son of Leo, as opposed to the others who claimed the...

Sicily had been completely lost to the expanding Emirate of Sicily at the beginning of Constantine VII's reign in 905 and Cyprus was a condominium jointly administered with the Abbasid caliphate until its reconquest by Nicephorus II Phocas in 965. Constantinople itself was under an eparchos (earlier the praefectus urbi) and protected by the numerous tagmata and police forces. The Emirate of Sicily (831 - 1072) - Byzantine Sicily was frequently the target of raids by Syrians, Egyptians, and Moors from North Africa. ... Alternate meaning: Area code 905 Events Births Deaths Categories: 905 ... In international law, a condominium is a territory in which two sovereign powers have equal rights. ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون Abbāsīyūn) was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Islamic empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Caliph is the title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Emperor Nicephoros Phocas Nicephorus II Phocas was one of the most brilliant generals in the history of Byzantium who rose to become a mediocre emperor from 963 until his assassination in 969. ... Events March 1 - Pope Benedict V is put in place of Pope Leo VIII by the people October 1 - John XIII becomes Pope The Khazar fortress of Sarkel falls to the Kievan Rus Births Sweyn I of Denmark Deaths February 22 - Odo, Duke of Burgundy July 4 - Pope Benedict V... In the Roman Empire, an eparchy was one of the political subdivisions of the Empire. ...

Under the direction of the thematic strategoi, tourmarchai commanded from two up to four divisions of soldiers and territory, called tourmai. Under them, the droungarioi headed subdivisions called droungoi, each with a thousand soldiers. On the field, these units would be further divided into banda with a nominal strength of 300 men, although at times reduced to little more than 50. Again, the fear of empowering effective revolts was largely behind these subdivisions.^[2]

The following table illustrates the thematic structure as found in the Thracesian Theme, circa 902-936.

• Note: The term have been latinized and terms in quotations are contignuations of the roman Legion system or * direct translations.^[3]

Centuria (Latin plural Centuriae) is a Latin substantive rooting in centum a hundred, denoting units consisting of (originally, approximatively) a 100 men. ... The Contubernium was smallest group of soilders in the Roman Army. ...

Imperial tagmata

Main article: Tagma

Mosaic showing Emperor Justinian I with several officers and a unit of tagmata.

The tagmata (τάγματα, "Battalions") were the standing army of the Empire, typically headquartered in or around Constantinople, although in later ages they sent detachments to the provinces. The remains of Diocletian' armies became the first tagmata, which were turned into the thematic forces under the Heraclians. Around the same time, some tagmata were formed as social clubs for the well-connected nobles of the capital. Justinian, for instance, is said to have amused himself by including one of these units, the Scholae, in mock active deployment lists, thus causing a panic amongst their upper class gentlemen-soldiers, who had no desire to leave the safety of Constantinople for the discomfort and danger of an actual military campaign. A Tagma (plural tagmata) was a military unit in the Byzantine Empire. ... Image File history File links Justinian_mosaik_ravenna. ... Image File history File links Justinian_mosaik_ravenna. ... Justinian I depicted on one of the famous mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale. ...

After the first set of thematic revolts reminded the emperors of the utility of a loyal standing force, however, the tagmata were reformed under a separate administration, improved in equipment and training, and continued to be used until the end of the empire.

The four most prestigious tagmata, in order, were:

• the Scholae (Gr. Σχολαί, "the Schools"), the direct successor of the imperial guards established by Constantine;
• the Excubiti or Excubitores (Gr. Εξκούβιτοι, "the Watchmen"), established by Leo I;
• the Arithmos (Gr. Αριθμός, "the Numbers") or Vigla (Gr. Βίγλα, the "Watch"), established probably sometime in the late 5th to early 6th century; and
• the Hikanatoi (Gr. Ικανάτοι, "the Able Ones"), established by Emperor Nicephorus I.

All of these were cavalry units consisting of 1,000-6,000 men each. A strength of 4,000 each appears to have been standard. The Numeroi (Gr. Νούμεροι, "Bathhouse boys" for their base of operations in the city), the Optimatoi (Gr. Οπτιμάτοι, "the Best"), and the tagma ton Teikhon (Gr. Τειχών, "of the Walls") were infantry tagmata. The Vigla and the Numeroi assisted in the policing of Constantinople; the tagma ton Teikheon, as the name suggests, manned the Theodosian walls and was generally responsible for the defense of the capital. Leo I coin. ... Nicephorus I and his son and successor, Stauracius. ...

In addition to these more or less stable units, any number of shorter-lived tagmata were formed as pet units of various emperors. Michael II raised the Tessarakontarioi, a special marine unit, and John I Tzimisces created a corps called the Athanatoi (Gr. Αθάνατοι, the "Immortals") after the old Persian unit. Michael II, called Psellus, the stammerer, or the Amorian (770-829) reigned as Byzantine emperor 820 - 829. ... Ioannes, protected by God and the Virgin Mary. ...

The tagmatic units were commanded by a domestikos, with a topoteretes as a lieutenant, except for the Vigla, which was commanded by a drungarios. The heads of the banda comprising the units, were headed by a komes. The Domestikos ton Scholon, the head of the Scholae regiment, became gradually more and more important, eventually coming to be the most senior officer by the end of the 10th century.

Komnenian army

Main article: Komnenian army

The Komnenian army was the force established by Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos during the late eleventh/early twelfth century, and perfected by his successors John II Komnenos and Manuel I Komnenos during the twelfth century. ...

Establishment and successes

Emperor John II Komnenos became renowned for his superb generalship and conducted many successful sieges. Under his leadership, the Byzantine army reconquered substantial territories from the Turks.

At the beginning of the Komnenian period in 1081, the Byzantine Empire had been reduced to the smallest territorial extent in its history. Surrounded by enemies, and financially ruined by a long period of civil war, the empire's prospects had looked grim. Yet, through a combination of skill, determination and years of campaigning, Alexios I Komnenos, John II Komnenos and Manuel I Komnenos managed to restore the power of the Byzantine Empire by constructing a new army from the ground up. The new force is known as the Komnenian army. It was both professional and disciplined. It contained formidable guards units such as the Varangian Guard and the Immortals (a unit of heavy cavalry) stationed in Constantinople, and also levies from the provinces. These levies included Kataphraktoi cavalry from Macedonia, Thessaly and Thrace, and various other provincial forces from regions such as the Black Sea coast of Asia Minor. Mosaic of John II Comnenus This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Mosaic of John II Comnenus This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... John II Komnenos or Comnenus (Greek: Ιωάννης Β΄ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs II Komnēnos) (September 13, 1087 – April 8, 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. ... Byzantine emperor Alexius I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos or Alexius I Comnenus (Greek: Αλέξιος Α Κομνηνός, Alexios I Komnēnos) (1048–August 15, 1118), Byzantine emperor (1081–1118), was the third son of John Komnenos, the nephew of Isaac I Komnenos (emperor 1057–1059). ... John II Komnenos or Comnenus (Greek: Ιωάννης Β΄ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs II Komnēnos) (September 13, 1087 – April 8, 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. ... Manuel I Komnenos, or Comnenus, (Greek: Μανουήλ Α Κομνηνός, Manouēl I Komnēnos), November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ...

Under John II, a Macedonian division was maintained, and new native Byzantine troops were recruited from the provinces. As Byzantine Asia Minor began to prosper under John and Manuel, more soldiers were raised from the Asiatic provinces of Neokastra, Paphlagonia and even Seleucia (in the south east). Soldiers were also drawn from defeated peoples, such as the Pechenegs (cavalry archers), and the Serbs, who were used as settlers stationed at Nicomedia. Native troops were organised into regular units and stationed in both the Asian and European provinces. Komnenian armies were also often reinforced by allied contingents from Antioch, Serbia and Hungary, yet even so they generally consisted of about two-thirds Byzantine troops to one-third foreigners. Units of archers, infantry and cavalry were grouped together so as to provide combined arms support to each other.

This Komnenian army was a highly effective, well-trained and well-equipped force, capable of campaigning in Egypt, Hungary, Italy and Palestine. However, like many aspects of the Byzantine state under the Komneni, its biggest weakness was that it relied on a powerful and competent ruler to direct and maintain its operations. While Alexios, John and Manuel ruled (c. 1081-c. 1180), the Komnenian army provided the empire with a period of security that enabled Byzantine civilization to flourish. Yet, as we shall see, at the end of the twelfth century the competent leadership upon which the effectiveness of the Komnenian army depended largely disappeared. The consequences of this breakdown in command were to prove disastrous for the Byzantine Empire.

Neglect under the Angeloi

Map of the Byzantine Empire under Manuel Komnenos, c. 1180

In the year 1185, the emperor Andronikos I Komnenos died. With him died the Komnenos dynasty, which had provided a series of militarily competent emperors for over a century. They were replaced by the Angeloi, who have the reputation of being the most unsuccessful dynasty ever to occupy the Byzantine throne. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (801x370, 188 KB) Summary I made this image, based on an illustration in the Times Atlas of the Medieval World. Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (801x370, 188 KB) Summary I made this image, based on an illustration in the Times Atlas of the Medieval World. Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the... Billon trachy (a cup-shaped coin) of Andronikos I Komnenos (1183-1185) Andronikos I Komnenos or Andronicus I Comnenus (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Α’ Κομνηνός, Andronikos I Komnēnos) (c. ... Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos The Komnenos or Comnenus (Greek: Κομνηνοί) family was an important dynasty in the history of the Byzantine Empire. ...

The army of the Byzantine empire at this point was highly centralised. It was dominated by a system in which the emperor gathered together his forces and personally led them against hostile armies and strongholds. Generals were closely controlled, and all arms of the state looked to Constantinople for instruction and reward.

However, the inaction and ineptitude of the Angeloi quickly lead to a collapse in Byzantine military power, both at sea and on land. Surrounded by a crowd of slaves, mistresses and flatterers, they permitted the empire to be administered by unworthy favourites, while they squandered the money wrung from the provinces on costly buildings and expensive gifts to the churches of the metropolis. They scatterred money so lavishly as to empty the treasury, and allowed such licence to the officers of the army as to leave the Empire practically defenceless. Together, they consummated the financial ruin of the state.

The empire's enemies lost no time in taking advantage of this new situation. In the east the Turks invaded the empire, gradually eroding Byzantine control in Asia Minor. Meanwhile in the west, the Serbs and Hungarians broke away from the empire for good, and in Bulgaria the oppressiveness of Angeloi taxation resulted in the Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion late in 1185. The rebellion led to the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire on territory which had been vital to the empire's security in the Balkans. Kaloyan of Bulgaria annexed several important cities, while the Angeloi squandered the public treasure on palaces and gardens and attempted to deal with the crisis through diplomatic means. Byzantine authority was severely weakened, and the growing power vacuum at the centre of the empire encouraged fragmentation, as the provinces began to look to local strongmen rather than the government in Constantinople for protection. This further reduced the resources available to the empire and its military system, as large regions passed outside central control. The Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion was a revolt of the Vlachs and Bulgarians living in the Byzantine Empire, caused by a tax increase. ... The history of Bulgaria began in the 7th century AD with the arrival of the Bulgars in the Balkans. ...

Analysis of the Byzantine military collapse

Structural weaknesses

It was in this situation that the disintegration of the military 'theme' system, which had been the foundation of the empire's remarkable success from the eighth to eleventh centuries, revealed itself as a real catastrophe for the Byzantine state. The themata circa 950. ...

The first advantage of the theme system had been its numerical strength. It is thought that the Byzantine field army under Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143-1180) had numbered some 40,000 men. However, there is evidence that the thematic armies of earlier centuries had provided the empire with a numerically superior force. The army of the theme of Thrakesion alone had provided about 9,600 men in the period 902-936, for example. Furthermore, the thematic armies had been stationed in the provinces, and their greater independence from central command meant that they were able to deal with threats quickly at a local level. This, combined with their greater numbers, allowed them to provide greater defense in depth. Manuel I Komnenos, or Comnenus, (Greek: Μανουήλ Α Κομνηνός, Manouēl I Komnēnos), November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ...

The other key advantage of the theme system was that it had offered the Byzantine state good value for money. It provided a means of cheaply mobilising large numbers of men. The demise of the system meant that armies became more expensive in the long run, which reduced the numbers of troops that the emperors could afford to employ. The considerable wealth and diplomatic skill of the Komnenian emperors, their constant attention to military matters, and their frequent energetic campaigning, had largely countered this change. But the luck of the empire in having the talented Komneni to provide capable leadership was not a long term solution to a structural problem in the Byzantine state itself. After the death of Manuel I Komnenos in 1180, the Angeloi had not lavished the same care on the military as the Komneni had done, and the result was that these structural weakness began to manifest themselves in military decline. From 1185 on, Byzantine emperors found it increasingly difficult to muster and pay for sufficient military forces, while their incompetence exposed the limitations of the entire Byzantine military system, dependent as it was on competent personal direction from the emperor. The culmination of the empire's military disintegration under the Angeloi was reached on 13 April 1204, when the armies of the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople and dismantled the Byzantine Empire. The old Byzantine empire was at an end. April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... // Events February - Byzantine emperor Alexius IV is overthrown in a revolution, and Alexius V is proclaimed emperor. ... The Fourth Crusade (1201–1204), originally designed to conquer Jerusalem through an invasion of Egypt, instead, in 1204, invaded and conquered the Eastern Orthodox city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. ...

Conclusion

Thus, the problem was not so much that the Komnenian army was any less effective in battle (the thematic army's success rate was just as varied as that of its Komnenian counterpart); it is more the case that, because it was a smaller, more centralised force, the twelfth century army required a greater degree of competent direction from the emperor in order to be effective. Although formidable under an energetic leader, the Komnenian army did not work so well under incompetent or uninterested emperors. The greater independence and resiliance of the thematic army had provided the early empire with a structural advantage that was now lost.

For all of the reasons above, it is possible to argue that the demise of the theme system was a great loss to the Byzantine empire. Although it took centuries to become fully apparent, one of the main institutional strengths of the Byzantine state was now gone. Thus it was not the army itself that was to blame for the decline of the empire, but rather the system that supported it. Without strong underlying institutions that could endure beyond the reign of each emperor, the state was extremely vulnerable in times of crisis. Byzantium had come to rely too much on individual emperors, and its continued survival was now no longer certain.

Armies of the realms-in-exile and of the Paleologi

Map of the Byzantine Empire in c. 1270. After the damage caused by the collapse of the theme system, the mismanagement of the Angeloi, and the catastrophe of the Fourth Crusade, for which the Angeloi were largely to blame, it proved impossible to restore the empire to the position it had held under Manuel Komnenos.

After 1204 the emperors of Nicaea continued some aspects of the system established by the Komneni. However, despite the restoration of the Byzantine empire in 1261, the Byzantines never again possessed the same levels of wealth, territory and manpower that had been available to the Komnenian emperors and their predecessors. As a result, the military was constantly short of funds. Yet worse was to come. Particularly after the death of Michael VIII Palaiologos in 1282, unreliable mercenaries such as the grand Catalan Company came to form an ever larger proportion of the remaining forces. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (801x370, 22 KB) Summary This file was made by Bigdaddy1204. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (801x370, 22 KB) Summary This file was made by Bigdaddy1204. ... The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911) Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: Μιχαήλ Η΄ Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl VIII Palaiologos) (1224/1225 – December 11, 1282) reigned as Byzantine emperor 1259–1282. ... The Catalan Company, or in full the Catalan Company of the East (Companyia Catalana dOrient in Catalan) or the Grand Catalan Company of the Almogavars (Gran Compañía Catalana de los Almogávares in Spanish), was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in early 14th...

By the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Byzantine army totalled about 7000 men, 2000 of whom were foreign mercenaries. Against the 85,000 Ottoman troops besieging the city, the odds were hopeless. The Byzantines managed for a time to hold off the third attack by the Sultan's elite Janissaries and according to some accounts on both sides where on the brink of repelling the jannisaries, but a Genoan general in charge of a section of the defense, Giovanni Giustiniani, was grievously wounded during the attack, and his evacuation from the ramparts caused a panic in the ranks of the defenders, as a result many of the italians, who where paid for by giustiniani himself fled the battle. Some historians suggest that the Kerkoporta gate in the Blachernae section had been left unlocked, and the Ottomans soon discovered this mistake-although accounts indicate that this gain for the ottomans was infact contained by defenders and pushed back.^{[citations needed]} The Ottomans rushed in. Emperor Constantine XI himself led the last defense of the city, and throwing aside his purple regalia, dove headfirst into the rushing Ottomans, dying in the ensuing battle in the streets, along with his soldiers. The fall of the capital meant the end of the Byzantine empire. The Byzantine army, the last surviving direct descendant of the Roman Legions, was finished. Combatants Byzantine Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Constantine XI† Mehmed II Strength 7,000 100,000 Casualties Entire garrison killed or captured Unknown, but heavy The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29... now. ... The Janissaries (or janizaries; in Turkish: Yeniçeri, meaning New Troops) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans household troops and bodyguard. ... Country Italy Region Liguria Province Genoa (GE) Mayor Giuseppe Pericu (since 2005-05-30) Elevation 20 m Area 243 km² Population  - Total (as of 2006) 620,316  - Density 2,553/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Genovesi Dialing code 010 Postal code 16100 Frazioni Acquasanta, Vesima Patron St. ... Giovanni Giustiniani was a Genoese captain during the Middle Ages. ... Blachernae is a suburb in the northeastern section of Constantinople. ... Emperor Constantine XI, the last Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who reigned from 1448 to 1453. ... A modern reconstruction of a Roman centurion around 70 A modern reconstruction of a Roman miles, (10-240) The Roman legion (from Latin , from lego, legere, legi, lectus — to collect) was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army. ...

Byzantine military philosophy

Despite the importance the Byzantine Empire attached to its position as the defender of true, orthodox Christianity against Muslim and Catholic alike, it is worth noting that the Empire never developed or understood the concept of a "holy war". Its neighbours' concepts of Jihad and Crusade seemed to it gross perversions of scripture or simple excuses for looting and destruction. Emperors, generals and military theorists alike found war to be a failing of governance and political relations, to be avoided whenever possible. Only wars waged defensively or to avenge a wrong could in any sense be considered just, and in such cases the Byzantines felt that God would protect them. Holy war may refer to: Religious war, a war fought for reasons of religion. ... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Djehad or Cihad, (Arabic: ‎ ) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ...

Major battles of the Byzantine Empire

This image by Gustave Dore shows the Turkish ambush at the battle of Myriokephalon (1176)

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1015, 146 KB) Summary The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x1015, 146 KB) Summary The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as Myriocephalum, was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phrygia on September 17, 1176. ...

Early Byzantine period

• Battle of Ticameron (533)
• Battle of Taginae (552)
• Battle of Nineveh (627)
• Battle of Yarmouk (636)
• Battle of Carthage (698)
• Siege of Constantinople (718)

The Battle of Ticameron took place on December 15, 533 between the armies of the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, and his brother Tzazon, and the eastern Roman Empire (later referred to as the Byzantine Empire), under the command of General Belisarius. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Ostrogoths Commanders Narses Totila† Strength 20,000 unknown infantry 2,000 horsemen Casualties unknown 6,000 At the battle of Taginae (also known as the battle of Busta Gallorum) in July of 552, the Byzantine Empire under General Narses broke the power of the Ostrogoths in Italy... There were two battles with this name Battle of Nineveh (612 BC) - Fall of Assyria Battle of Nineveh (627) - Byzantine-Persian Wars This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Muslim Arabs Commanders Theodore the Sacellarius Baänes Khalid ibn Walid Strength About 70, 000 About 45,000 Casualties Heavy 3000 The Battle of Yarmouk (also spelled Yarmuk, Yarmuq or Hieromyax) took place between the Muslim Arabs and the Byzantine Empire in 636. ... The Battle of Carthage was the major act of the Third Punic War between the Phoenician city of Carthage in Africa (near present-day Tunis) and the Roman Republic. ... Combatants Umayyad Caliphate Byzantine Empire, First Bulgarian Empire Commanders Maslama Leo III and Khan Tervel Strength 160,000-200,000 men, 2,000 ships 30,000 Byzantines, 50,000 Bulgarians Casualties Extremely high, estimates are 130,000-170,000 men, almost 2,000 ships Unknown The Second Arab siege of...

Middle Byzantine period

• Battle of Pliska (811)
• Battle of Anchialus (917)
• Battle of Kleidion (1014)
• Battle of Manzikert (1071)
• Battle of Dyrrhachium (1081)
• Battle of Levounion (1091)
• Siege of Nicaea (1097)
• Battle of Sirmium (1167)
• Battle of Myriokephalon (1176)

The Battle of Pliska took place on July 26, 811, between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgar khanate, resulting in one of the worst defeats in Byzantine history. ... The Battle of Anchialus refers to three battles between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire. ... The Battle of Kleidion (also Clidium, the key, or Belasitsa) took place on July 29, 1014 between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire. ... The Battle of Manzikert, or The Battle of Malazgirt, was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuk forces led by Alp Arslan on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert, Armenia (modern Malazgirt, Turkey). ... Battle of Dyrrhachium Conflict Roman Republican civil wars Date July 10, 48 BC Place Dyrrhachium Result Victory of Pompey The Battle of Dyrrachium (or Dyrrhachium) on 10 July 48 BC was one of a series of contests between Julius Caesar and Pompey that ended with Pompeys defeat in the... Combatants Byzantines, supported by Cumans Pechenegs Commanders Alexios I Komnenos, Byzantine Emperor Unknown Strength Unknown 80,000? Casualties Unknown Unknown, but thought to be extremely heavy The Battle of Levounion was the first decisive Byzantine victory of the Komnenian restoration. ... The Siege of Nicaea took place from May 14 to June 19, 1097, during the First Crusade. ... Combatants Byzantines, supported by Cuman, Italian and Serbian units Hungarians Commanders Andronikos Kontostephanos Unknown Strength Unknown, perhaps 25,000 - 40,000 Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown, likely quite heavy The Battle of Sirmium was fought on July 8, 1167 between the Byzantine Empire, (also known as Eastern Roman), and the Kingdom... The Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as Myriocephalum, was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phrygia on September 17, 1176. ...

Late Byzantine period

• Battle of Pelagonia (1259)
• Fall of Constantinople (1453)

The Battle of Pelagonia took place in September of 1259, between the Empire of Nicaea and the Principality of Achaea. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Constantine XI† Mehmed II Strength 7,000 100,000 Casualties Entire garrison killed or captured Unknown, but heavy The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29...

Notes

1. ^ Constantine VII, The Book of Ceremonies.
2. ^ Treadgold.
3. ^ "Byzantium and Its Armies, 284-1081", Warren Treadgold,1995

Constantine and his mother Zoë. Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos (the Purple-born) (Constantinople, 905 – November 9, 959 in Constantinople) was the son of Byzantine emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife Zoe Karvounopsina. ...

References

Primary sources

• Notitia Dignitatum, an early 5th century document, describing the disposition of the legions in both Western and Eastern Roman Empire

The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. ...

Secondary sources

• Bartusis, Mark C., The Late Byzantine Army
• Elton, Hugh, Warfare in Roman Europe
• Haldon, John, Byzantium at War
• Haldon, John, Warfare, state and society in the Byzantine World
• Haldon, John, Byzantine Praetorians
• Heath, Ian, Byzantine Armies 886-1118
• Heath, Ian, Byzantine Armies AD 1118-1461
• MacDowall, Simon, Late Roman Infantryman AD 236–565
• MacDowall, Simon, Late Roman Cavalryman AD 236–565
• Moroz, Irina, "The Idea of Holy War in the Orthodox World", Quaestiones medii aevi novae v. 4
• Nicolle, David, Romano-Byzantine Armies 4th-9th Centuries
• Nicolle, David, Yarmuk AD 636
• Simkins, Michael, The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine
• Treadgold, Warren, A History of the Byzantine State and Society
• Treadgold, Warren, ­­Byzantium and Its Armies, 284-1081
• Wise, Terence, Armies of the Crusades

See also

Byzantine Culture
Art
Aristocracy & Bureaucacy
Army
Architecture
Coinage
Cuisine
Dance
Dress
Economy
Gardens
Law
Literature
Music
Medicine
Navy

• Byzantine Empire
• Byzantine battle tactics
• Byzantine navy
• Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy
• Roman Empire
• Roman army
• Roman navy
• Varangian guard
• Drungarios

Image File history File links Window_St_Nicholas. ... The most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the image of Christ on the walls of the upper southern gallery. ... Painting of Emperor Basil II, exemplifying the Imperial Crown handed down by Angels. ... Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. ... Anastasius 40 nummi (M) and 5 nummi (E) Byzantine currency, money used in the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the West, consisted of mainly two types of coins: the gold solidus and a variety of clearly valued bronze coins. ... During the Byzantine period there is a merger between the gastronomy of Greece and Rome. ... // History Greek Dance in Antiquity was originally held to have some kind of educational value, as evidenced in Platos dialogues on this point in The Laws. ... // Overview Byzantine Dress changed vastly over the centuries. ... Byzantium undoubtedly occupies an important place in the history of garden design. ... Justinian I depicted on a mosaic in the church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy The Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law) is a fundamental work in jurisprudence, issued from 529 to 534 by order of Justinian I, Byzantine Emperor. ... Byzantine literature refers to literature written in the Greek language during the Middle Ages, although certain works written in Latin, like the Corpus Juris Civilis may also be included. ... Byzantine music is the music of the Byzantine Empire and by extension the music of its culture(s) as they continued in the Orthodox Christian parts of the population after the fall of the empire to the rule of the Ottoman Empire. ... A gallery of birds from the Vienna Dioscurides Byzantine manuscript. ... The Byzantine Dromon, the heaviest ship in the Byzantine fleet, capable of carrying up to 50 Marines. ... Byzantine Empire (native Greek name: - Basileia tōn Romaiōn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The Byzantine army evolved from that of the late Roman Empire. ... The Byzantine Dromon, the heaviest ship in the Byzantine fleet, capable of carrying up to 50 Marines. ... Painting of Emperor Basil II, exemplifying the Imperial Crown handed down by Angels. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... Soldiers of the Roman Army (on manoeuvres in Nashville, Tennessee) Rome was a militarized state whose history was often closely entwined with its military history over the 1228 years that the Roman state is traditionally said to have existed. ... The Roman Navy (Latin: Classis) operated between the First Punic war and the end of the Western Roman Empire. ... The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ... Drungarios A Military rank of the Byzantine Army. ...

External links

• De re militari.org - The Society for Medieval Military History