During much of its history its provinces were military districts called themes, and acclamation by the army, not coronation or inheritance, was what made a man emperor. The army overthrew twenty-odd rulers, and tried to oust many more. It was large and expansive but on the whole it served its purpose well. Over eight centuries, despite losing a surprising number of battles, the army succeeded in preserving both itself and Byzantium. In view of its importance in Byzantine history, it is surprising that this volume is the first general book on the Byzantine army in any language.The author traces the army’s impact on the Byzantine state and society from the army’s reorganization under Diocletian (284-305) until its disintegration in the aftermath of the battle of Manzikert (1071). He suggests solutions to some major unresolved questions of Byzantine military history: how big was the army, how was it organized, how much of it was cavalry, how much was it paid, how was it supplied, when and why did it receive land grants in the themes, and why, after surviving so many disasters, did it fail to survive the not particularly disastrous eleventh century?
"Byzantium and Its Army" covers the evolution of the (Eastern) Roman army from the time of Diocletian until the decline of the Byzantine military after the battle of Manzikert. During this period (284-1081 A.D.) the Byzantine army displayed incredible adaptability and managed to hold its own whether fighting axe-wielding barbarians or nimble nomad horsemen, protecting the extensive frontiers of the Empire, while remaining a major factor of the political stage. Th..
'Byzantium and Its Army' is an incorrectly titled book. It lacks just about everything that one would expect from a book entitled as it is. There is scant mention of equipment or the armies' actual performance in warfare. Treadgold focuses primarily on two things: the pay and the size of the army, and much of it in the Diocletianic to Justinianic periods, although other important names such Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos, Theophilos and Basil II Bulgaroktonos do get a mention..
