Warfare in Late Byzantium, 1204-1453

Download or read book Warfare in Late Byzantium, 1204-1453 written by Savvas Kyriakidis and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-05-23 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines Byzantine attitudes towards warfare at a time of crisis when the empire ceased to be a first rate power in the Mediterranean. It investigates the correspondence between official rhetoric and propaganda, on the one hand, and military realities, on the other. It explores the military ethos of the late Byzantine aristocracy and examines Byzantine perceptions of military leadership in comparison to contemporary western European military thinking. The organisation and nature of military operations and the role of the various groups of soldiers are explored to set Byzantine warfare in the wider geographical and cultural context. In addition, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the influences other medieval cultures exerted on Byzantine military thought, organisation and practice.