Byzantská armáda a loďstvo v 11. storočí pred nástupom dynastie Komnénovcov (1081)

Byzantine Army and Fleet in the 11th Century before the Rise of the Komnenian dynasty (1081)

Autor: MEŠKO Marek

MEŠKO, Marek: Byzantská armáda a loďstvo v 11. storočí pred nástupom dynastie Komnénovcov (1081)

MEŠKO, Marek: Byzantine Army and Fleet in the 11th Century before the Rise of the Komnenian dynasty (1081).

Vojenská história, 19, 4, 2015, pp. 6-36.

An extensive study of Marek Meško deals with the topic of gradual transformation of the Byzantine army since the era of the Emperor Basileios II Boulgaroktonos until the end of the reign of the Emperor Nikephorus III. This is a key period not only from the military point of view but also in terms of economic and social development of the Byzantine Empire as a whole. Annexation of extensive territories at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries was largely related to a new stage of transformation of the Byzantine army. In the early 10th century, the units of individual themata still comprised its main component. However, the emperors gradually started to prefer a more mobile army consisting mostly of heavy cavalry, the members of which were usually the representatives of the increasingly powerful land aristocracy. On the other hand, the position of infantry was gradually decreasing and their function was later restricted only to direct services in a particular thema. In a transparent and erudite way, the author brings an insight into these gradual changes, explaining the causes of the slow crisis of the Byzantine army in the second half of the 11th century. Moreover, he also describes its military organization and structure in detail.

Keyword: Military History. Byzantine Empire. 11th century. Army and Fleet before the Reign of the Komnenian Dynasty.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2015.19.4.1

Ročník: 19 | Číslo: 4/2015 | Stránky: 6-36