Late byzantine military

[DemonArchangel]

NO BOOK suggestions I'm TOO CHEAP TO BUY

I need help on late byzantine military composition.

[Cebei]

1-Build 500 Kataphraktoi
2-attack
3-if survivors remain repeat #2

Or look here
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSq....ar.html (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/2398/bginfo/social/war.html)

[The Scourge]

Any good links to Byzantine uniforms ,any period?
Thanks.

[Swamp Thing]

Here is an excellent link on Byzantine armour

http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~tdawson/levantia/KKK.html

http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~tdawson/levantia/

By the way, I have a copy of the book by Mark Bartusis right here. What do you want to know specifically?

[The Scourge]

That was quick.Thanks.

[kataphraktoi]

Yo Demarch

Before 1204, the Byzantine military administration was screwed over. In that same year, the Varangian Guards were disbanded after surrendering without a fight (thats what you get with English merceneries http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif hehe and other kind of people).

After 1204, the armies of the Byzantines were predictably smaller due to smaller resources to dispose of, but here are the main characteristics of the late Byzantine army

- Latin Heavy Cavalry: similar to the Pronoia Allagion
- Cuman and Pecheneg horse archers who settled on Byzantine territory
- A small indigenous core of soldiers, not likely to be flash
- No Cataphracts: they become too expensive
- Turkish mercenaries from the Emirates in Asia Minor eg. Aydin, Ottomans, etc, etc
- At one stage Catalan mercenaries: professionally trained knights and infantry
- Unarmoured infantrymen: spearmen with shield and armour
- Balkan mercenaries: Serbs, Bulgars and Vlachs

[ShadesPanther]

and what exactly would the small core of soldiers be like?

[Nowake]

Hmm, just stumbled upon this.

As an answer to the question, the core of indigenous soldiers would be the followers of the MTW's byzantine infantry and spearmen.

But kataphraktoi posted something that I haven't heard of before. As far as I know, the varangians fought to the death in the Blancherne palace. Enlighten me, I may confuse facts.

[kataphraktoi]

Quote[/b] ]But kataphraktoi posted something that I haven't heard of before. As far as I know, the varangians fought to the death in the Blancherne palace. Enlighten me, I may confuse facts.

Like all good unreliable mercenaries they ask for higher pay in a crisis. The VARANGIANS were refused and they jsut simply put no effort in the resistance of 1204.

I haven't come across the Blacharnae last stand in any sources, the best source I got was a book specifically devoted to Varangians. Perhaps there was a small core of loyal Varangians.???

The small indigeous core of Byzantine elements varied.

[redrooster]

According to John julius Norwich in his book Byzantium: Decline and Fall wrote that the Varangians held the sea fronatage of the Palace of Blacharnae, which was also the weak point in Constantinople's line of defence.