Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire c.900-1204 (Warrior)

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	• Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire c.900-1204 (Warrior) Timothy Dawson Osprey Publishing, 2007 - 64 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire c.900-1204 (Warrior)

I found it enlightening since little, in historical literature, covers this important period of history. This is an academic work, and brief, but provides interesting information on the continuing Roman Empire. The Roman Empire didn't cease to exist in 476 A.D. but continued till 1453 A.D. but it becomes overshadowed by other events, e.g., the Crusades, Turks, Arabs, Normans, etc.

An Insightful Look at the Byzantine Soldier

In Osprey's Warrior No. 118, Byzantine Infantryman: Eastern Roman Empire c. 900 - 1204, classics scholar Dr. Timothy Dawson outlines the capabilities and character of the soldiers who formed the bulwark of the Byzantine Empire. This is a subject area that has been neglected for decades due to a dearth of source material and biases against the Byzantines, as the author notes. Dr. Dawson's work sheds considerable light on this oft-neglected subject and he provides an insightful look at the Byzantine soldier.

Byzantine Infantryman consists of sections on recruitment, appearance, equipment, training, conditions of service, belief and belonging, on campaign and experience of battle. Color plates by Angus McBride include: Byzantine infantry at the beginning of the 10th Century; training; equipment in the late 10th to 11th centuries; battlefield formation in the late 10th century; camp life on campaign in Armenia; siege warfare; medical treatment and super heavy infantry of the 12th Century. The author also provides a 2-page glossary and a detailed bibliography.

The author lays out the subject methodically, covering all the critical areas from recruitment, to training, to combat and then retirement. He also makes some interesting comments about the effect of Orthodox Christianity upon Byzantine soldiers - who were told that even killing a non-Christian foe was a sin. The Church and society thus regarded the Byzantine soldier as something of an outcast, which helps to explain the problems in maintaining large armies. Unlike the earlier Roman Army, the Byzantines also allowed soldiers to serve as long as they were physically able, with no set terms of service. The only shortcoming in this work is its inability to convey why the Byzantine soldiers were able to prevail against the long odds they faced in this period - the secret of their "eliteness" is alluded to, but not really explained. Overall, a good volume in the Elite series.

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New Byzantine Infantry title

Just finished it and couldn't put it down. Please promise there is more on its way! The section on training the troops is an area often overlooked. I especially agreed with the observations on the realism of the rosette casket ivory figures and believe closer study of the many of these still extant could by a process of "reverse engineering" elicit an almost complete Byzantine Fechtbuch. Great material on archery and in particular the solenarion. The materials on Campaign Life, Medical Treatment, Siege Warfare and re-enactment groups were bonuses.Given this current and up to date scholarship this should be an excellent read and remedy a lot of the material in earlier works by Osprey based on redundant scholarship.

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Dawson is an expert researcher on the topic

Also recommended for such an audience is Timothy Dawson's BYZANTINE INFANTRYMAN: EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE C.900-1204. The Byzantine Army was built on a belief system emphasizing overwhelming force and infantrymen were trained on fighting in formation. Dawson is an expert researcher on the topic and here chronicles a typical infantryman's daily experiences and engagements.

The continuing tradition of Roman infantry

This title, by far the most worthy Osprey has yet published on the Byzantine Army, presents a fresh and lively new look at this confused topic and supports it with lovely plates by Angus McBride. Like all warrior titles, it examines the chronology, recruitment, appearance, equipment, training, conditions of service, belief and belonging, on campaign, and experience of battle of the topic and also has a detailed glossary. Also included are some neat black and white pics of modern reenactors using the spears and solenarion of the Byzantine infantryman.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Byzantine Infantryman

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