Publication details
Byzantská armáda a loďstvo v 11. storočí pred nástupom dynastie Komnénovcov (1081)
| Title in English | Byzantine Army and Fleet in the 11th Century before the Rise of the Komnenian Dynasty (1081) |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Vojenská história |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | History |
| Keywords | history of warfare; Byzantine Empire; navy; army; 11th century; Komnenoi |
| Description | An extensive study 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 Nikeforos 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. |