Had byzantines composite bows?

[Jon von]

Had trebisond archers, byz cavalry, bulgarian brigands composite bows? Or was it an exlusive right of muslim and steppe archers / horse archers?

[Rosacrux]

Of course they had composite bows. At least the minor Asia archers (the Treb archs are portrayed by those) had.

[BlackWatch McKenna]

What a journey.......

Leo the Wise (866 - 912)...
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/s014/f121079.htm

...writes about the Hungarians having Composite bows.
http://www2.4dcomm.com/millenia/Weapons.htm

So if these guys faced them, and the Seljuk Turks had them, I would presume that the Byzies would have tried to HIRE guys who used them as mercenaries. Since they had the cash, there is no reason to think that they would not have had access to them for their armies.

Anyone find anything that is more on point?

~BW

Those Hungarians sure were nutty warriors The second link credits the Hungarians with developing the Sabre (Hungarian for "cut" or "shrear" being "Sab"). Also of note, the word Hussar - which is equivalent to Light Cavalry, comes from the Hungarian word for 20).

---------
1st Guy: "Dude, its like a bunch of horse men"
2nd Guy: "Yah, a whole Hussar of them"
1st Guy: "Run - it's the HUSSARS"
2nd Guy: ::::: arrow in his eye...dies::::
---------
Well - you get the picture.

[Rosacrux]

There is an enormous dispute about wether the word hussar derives from Hungarian, Serbian or Greek.

The "20" is one explaination (Hungarian)

Another is that it derives from the Serbian Gus-Gusar (I don't remember the exact meaning of the word).

A third is that it derives from the word "Hosarii", a Greek words which means "ambushers" and describes a light cavalry type of Byzantine troops (from 8th century AD) who served as border patrol and militia. Those were recruited from the Balkan provinces of the empire (mainly Greece-Serbia).

There is an even older Roman term, but I can't remember it right now...

[JANOSIK007]

In Slavic Hussar would mean something to the effect of "male Goose or a keeper of the Goose" Some of them wore goose feathers.

Think about it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Orda Khan]

The Romans used composite bows fashioned similarly to those of the Huns. The Composite bow was the favoured weapon of the Scythians, Parthians, Assyrians, Avars, Huns, Magyars, Mongols...They had subtle differences in design but were all the general double recurve shape. I would imagine the Byzantines would have used Composite bows as well

....Orda

[CBR]

You say subtle differences...so that means they are practically the same when it comes to range/power..ofc there might be differences in what arrows they used?

CBR

[Orda Khan]

Subtle differences being the shape and mechanics CBR. They were all double recurve in shape but each is identifiable by their design. The lower limb of the Hun bow is shorter than the upper. The limb tips of the Magyar do not turn forwards as much as the Mongol and it lacks the string bridges of the latter. These bridges prevent the Mongol bow from turning inside out..( the limb tips pointing forwards more would allow the string to slip ) These bridges help impart a faster release, making the Mongol bow the best of them. I own both a Magyar and a Mongol bow and the latter is noticeably faster. Other differences are bow length etc but all are beautifully smooth to use.
There were a surprising array of arrowheads and these too tended to be peculiar to the nationality as were the bows

.......Orda