Raffaele D'Amato

Byzantine Imperial Guardsmen 925-1025 (eBook, PDF)

The Tághmata and Imperial Guard
Illustrator: Rava, Giuseppe

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

The hundred-year period ending in 1025, from the reign of the Emperor Constantine VII to that of Basil II 'the Bulgar-Slayer', encompassed the last great era of Byzantine aggression and dominance in the Near East and Balkans. During that time, a succession of soldier-emperors hallenged and defeated an array of opponents on land and at sea and reconquered vast swathes of territory. At the heart of the Emperors' forces were the professional, highly mobile Tagmata or Imperial Guard regiments, originally formed to guard the Emperor¹s person in the capital but invariably deployed as elite combat troops. Joining these heavy cavalry units, were a variety of exotic mercenary units recruited from foreigners, notably the legendary Varangians. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this lively study sheds new light on the colourful regiments of the Byzantine Imperial Guard, the formidable warriors who provided the Byzantine emperors with an insurance policy in the capital, and the elite of their field armies when on campaign.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK
• Seitenzahl: 64
• Erscheinungstermin: 20. August 2012
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781849088510
• Artikelnr.: 38358596

Autorenporträt

Raffaele D'Amato, PhD, is the author of some 40 books and has written numerous articles on the Roman Empire, Byzantium, medieval Europe and the military of Ancient Greece. He has taught at the University of Ferrara, and was a visiting professor at Fatih University, Istanbul. He currently lives in England, working as an archaeological consultant and lawyer for Timeline Auctions Ltd of Harwich, and also as an external researcher for the Laboratory of the Danubian Provinces at the University of Ferrara.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction - historical background
Chronology of campaigns and battles
Byzantine army organization: the Themata and Tagmata
The Tagmata, regimental organization and histories: heavy armoured cavalry units - archer units - infantry units
The Imperial Guard on ceremonial duties
The Imperial Guard on campaign and in battle
Uniforms, armour and weapons
Bibliography
Index