Gm:m MIUTARY ME:'J-AT-ARMS SERIES 247 ROMANO-BYZANTINE ARMIES 4TH-9TH CENTURIES [) \\lD "'COLI,f. PIID\"eiCS \IcBRIDf. EDITOR: MARTlN WINDROW ~ 247 ROMANO-BYZANTINE ARMIES 4TH-9TH CENTURIES Text by DAVID NICOLLE PHD Colour plates by ANGUS McBRIDE ~t1tj ....."" Dod,ctI'H>n .... , .. t JIM F... <.ii... lludl JOt<;o..._-.~,..-.,.0\ l(;opo........~'q' j .... 1I.Jy. ..,./f.q! fl.-t<'<t ~1"'7·I.J"'II '"""""­ ....... _ ....\jooft_.. 6oio.s..:.., .... (It~f-f_·._ha ......._.....,,--~ '"' .. ...._j _ .."'-P!.... l:Irooop: "-'I<&. I....... C.utf; ................ ""bIO<oo__• lot .... O"'.".r in"..."....UIN _ ·....-.... b ) . G,.,~J ",,,in{tI. 'lIa/y-' ., 001 d«tn>W.<lo<1riboI, <-.al. -.:lo.-.I ..,......-..,.,iup-........., ... (Rober, 1I.....'n'~' ............ ~_,""pnorP'" "'_ ""'~... !Io ..._. ~.....",rirt oJooolJ "" ~"' ~,'OIhIO<O- ,h'ist's '\IOle R""I0'" m.y ,,,rc to nO," {~" (~" orig;n.ll"'in,ing< ISI<r> , IU.l""" f",m ,,~'C~ I~" ""I"", pl.,,,, in l~", I,,,o~ "'n" p,,,poml ... .-,.il.ble ror Pli....u"le. All fOPlod"'UOfl c<>pyriJht .. ho~""'Ill.........d It) the publ..h.... All enquiries "'DUld bo: .ddrastd t(" PO 80.0: "IS, """"'lholtlwn, f Su..., 8:-.. ..; .>51- Thc~rq .... 1hat tMJ""-" _ .....to .... ~nceuporl IM"",tla r............... houaL; t, _boo!"","" \1.... J*- oo: ",. "~n \I........ G-o...... c.taloo,;o>t ~mftOt. ~ blltohi'" 1...1. \hebd;n , Fulhom Jr. ...d. I_S\\J'1l1l ROMANO-BYZANTINE ARMIES INTRODUCTION gorri",m dUlies dccline<l;n qu.l,,). Mun.. hil" 10le Roman Empcrors gcnc....lIy o,,"cd ,heir l"""ion !O lh. orm)'; power ofien 10)' ;n lhe h.nd. of rum[lCling The Fall "fthl- Rom." Empire has bt:en explained in g,'ne",ls. ,,'hile e;, il w.n> ...·re more of. ,hre.. '0 """nomic. m<,>n.l and c'-en ",ci.llenns, but the f'Cl~ ord;n>ry people ,h.n ..ere foreign in,-asions. of milit.,) collapse arc easier to ChHI. Rom." The IIp.amine Empire ","S. nr wurse, merel~ lhe frornicrs were uflcn arlifici.l; for ,,-hile f"",sl'- "ml E.Slern IlOrl of the old Rom.n En'l,irc under. ne.. moun";". formed ,<\II b>Triers. ,il"crs ,,-crc mOre' n.me lhe <li..pP'.....ncc of the Wcslern h.lf;n lhe me.nS of rornmun;C;I\;nn th.n on obstacle. The 51h ccnmr) g.ne....ny being rcprdcd as ,lie momenl Rhine.nd Dlllube h.d for centuries mu~c<.l the limit of ' ....ns;l;on. Though deepl) ehr;,li.n, Bp.amillm of Roman rule. bUI behind ,hem - 'p"" frum thc ....s .'cr, miliuriz.d .nd "-~ crud 'S .n~ of ilS foc'S. Alp. which prot""ted h.l) then- "'Cre fc" effect;" ..-ilh relig;ous slrife being .Im",,' as CommOn .s b.rriers. 1\ losl Rom.n !1m" or fmrnicrs cnn.<iclc<;l of religiou, debOll", The 5.:l<s:.lni.n in, ..ions of Ihe carl) WIl5 r:llhn th.n Tines. and here peoples mel ""her 71h cemury were .Iso ,'er)" deSlrUC';"c. For. genera­ th.n being scp.r;l1w linn IlF-<llllium los! ~:g)pf, S)"ri. and e'Slern :\n._ In genenol the Eastern h.lf of the Rom." EmpIre wI;., M.n~ dl;es "cre de>'ro)c,J. ,he 0,c1':111 w.s. bJ the mid-41h ""mul} \1). ""ol1onlle-.II) populal;on of .. hal is no.. Turke) dcdin;n!!" for <m"'gcr ,h.n the \\ C.", and there "" no real annlher fi"e hun,Jrc<l }'c-,,~ "mil,heT "rLi,h '-"'''que'! "idencc to indiaolc lh.t E.stern 'Greek" soldier< 1c,J '" • r",·j,..1. "cre mferinr 10> lle"em 'Roman' .oluie"" lari..", J\llhnugh the 1l}7.dmine Emp,,,, wos • c"minu­ milil.r) refi"",s h.d, h",.c,er, been Inscd "IXln ali"n oflhe Rom.n Empire ontl fo"eu similar mil",,)' llellen;.l;" Gr.",k "'lher Ih.n Rom.n eo"eeIH', .",1 problem•• irs solmions were ,er~ dilf.relll. In ;"orlh .1 ... ",flecled Gem'.nie or Iranian influences from Africa. for cumple, Rome's lafll:c arm,' concc"'....Ic<.J IJC)'md lhc f...m,ier, ,\kan.. hilc ,he mili.. r~ i"'pl"_ "n sceunng rna", ro.ds and urlnll "em...,;. !>nl.., of from;er people. gre". Nor .hOlllu lhe f.el lly"tOn,ium's ,m.!ler .nn~ huil! m''''e fllrt;lk:nions ,hal h.lflhe Ron..n Empire fell ", barbori." ",,,,ul! .nd look a defens,,'e sl.nee. The m<lSI striking hiue lhe remarlable elflocli "e"..... oflhi. 1:u. Roman ell.raeleri"i" of l"or IIp.anl;ne mil;IOT)' IhinL;ng ucCene. slruelU"", gi"en Ihe I'1..hne<J (,,,,n,I'lio,,< "-", howc"er, lho Ih..mr or prOl ,no;ol arm) ')>lcm, "" I'hirh;, w._, h"ih. A ...'''cr_ughl fromicr 1'" nol' Il hich o..'ed n", hing w .nciem Rom.n 'radilion The impossible, so lh.l.le Rom.n arm! ",lieu on. SCreen of garr""n. hade<.l up h)" mohile field armi..",. Garri..m. 1', • ..., u-, hold minor "ncm) 'neo",i""••nu, b) foreinll".n m,-.der 10 d;.pe~;n ...areh of fooJ, lhe! 01", made h,m .ulnerahle 10 eou",er:m.eL bJ lhc n...rest field arm), Th ,,"eaLncss of lhi, .)s'em la)' m lhe slo,," <J'Ct'd c.en "ffield .rmics, "'h;ch .Iso had lO be >p d o,cr • "ide >re-a dene..ing Ihe Emperor's rum !. The Rom.n orm) .1so f.,lc<l w .eh;c.'e • d..-.:isi", soper;orily;n ca,,"lry, ,,"hile lroops lic<.J <lo,,"n in slOli,' 0",i""of. Rom.n 'II" peTit."..Jnl...."'..r.', .1Ii«} ,1 .... 1> /tor...,,,,,,,, (1-"<"3 I M "."'"m, in,·. /l. wi"". ''''"n,"<1""dJl,': S"M'M.,'Juh. ~:",.;,.) , basic eh.....eter of Ro"",n .nd B)'untine .rmies .Iw dill"'rc'<l. Rome .e1)·ing on discipline .nd drill. COLLAPSE AND IIp..n,iumon Slrotegy .nd gene...lship. 11 h.. e'en hecn suggested th.l, from the 7th to 12th cemuries, SURVIVAL 'k....e "":IS no 'East' no '\\CSt' in 'hc Mcditcrr:mc.n ""rId. Such. vicw might he olersiml'lifi,~I. but in Thc "flieer corps of the later Rom"n ornl) "'S of'en purely mil it ...) term. W.,.tern Europe. thc III untine motil'''ed by politi",1 .mbition, while the bul~ uf Eml,i", .nd th Mu.lim I.nds did sh..e a commun Iroop. were no" ""'ruitcd from frontier are~s, herit.~e. parlicul.rI) in German!, as thc cen"e ofthe Empire In tC'rms uf tl-chnol,,!,) the 5th to> ~th eenturics becomc demilitarized. There "ere incrc""sing proll­ we.c ccrt.ml)· • time ofg.....'u change. Greek Fire. the 1cms "ith con<cril,"on, with. huge lJst ofe",'mptions 'terror weaf'lln' of the \Iidd1c ,\ges. "":IS prol».bl) r~nging from balcrs to scnator<. Men mUlilaled ""cnted in E!UVt tow.rds the end of U! anI inc rule themscil'cs 10 ",'oid the OII1-up, "hile recruits h.d to .nd there were .Iso nlajnr de,'e1npmellls in horse be lodcd awa) e,ch nigbt to stop d"""rtion. 1") "as h"ness, muSt stemming from Centnll ,hia, "ith ",.de'luote .nd. dCSI>ue fax conces'mns. aU"""at;o", ,mprowm,·nts to saddle. bridk, hor,,~shoes .nd. of de",lie' land .nd ,m.n ,..sh grants, \'e'er~ns gO! muM stri~in~ of .11. the imrod"etion of stirrups. les< th"n the)' h.d i" c..lier centuries. Di".;ipl'"c "OS Other changes could be b,,,n in 1\.1 I ~I t.etic,>, with the th,:wetie""lI} har;h bUl in re.l'l! t...ined troops "cre sh,p-disabling bt"k reploeing the .nciem ship­ «l '"aluahle thO! .<e"ere punishm"nts "er<' nrd} "sed sinking rl.m.•\kanwhile Medirerr.nean shipwright. \1,,,,,,, h,le mam' ci,·ili.ns cumpl.ined thai the Em­ m',,"ed from 'he "Id hol1·fi"'l 1fI the ",""ern f"me­ pire p.mperc><1 its troops. ,\< oud)ing pro'ince, were first ,-onbl.uet;"n system, and the tri.ngular 1.leen ha, h",o'c",r, conscription returnct1 to lhe "",ntrc­ <.il ""as intrnd"enl from the Indi.n Occ.n. Thc mdudin, luI>' hut here sucial ,rn,ion. h.d hinged <tern rudder nfChinesc nrigin m,,! h"e bt."n un,!cm"""d p.tr"ltie kding, \ el It II"'; .tillp"ssible lnu"n to .\Iuslim >:Iilu.s in the lmli.n Oce.n b!' the '0 1c'} ennscripTs.s bte as ,\l) ~oJ. ~Ih or 'oth ccnmril'S, but whcthcr it w.s used b)' NO! surprisingl). the ,ulhor;"cs Inolcd fllr fight_ \ lediter...n<':ln <ailn.... "e! ",m.in< unek.. ing mcn ",herne. thc) eo"ld be found. l",ni.n­ <pc.~ing Sum",i.n l",'alr! nomads from the Russian • <leppes "e'" sculed ,n "ariuus p.rts or the Empire• indutlintz Ilri";n, "here. unit h.d Ix:cn .t31ionl.'<I in ,he 1')'ltlc arc. of northern L.nl.shire, (j"th Ger­ manS wcre mo", "idesl".,.ad, ",me "cn bc,n~ <tationed in ,\r.bi•. l'"l1o"ing Romc's disastrous defcot 1>, Ihe Visigoth< (\\',>tcrn GOlhs) '" .... d_ rian,,!,le (mod. Edime) in ,\D .178. some l""-Q",hl) gorri""n soldier<: "cre drummed onto the tidd arm!. hut "cre nOf "I' to the I'S~. On tbe oTher h.nd ind,gcno", troops SU<IT.s-full) fougbt hrig,nds within Iheir o,,'n .rcas.