12-06-2008, 07:39 PM
Thomas,
It is worth mentioning the Athanatoi. Originally raised by John I Tzimiskes the Athanatoi were a body of young men of noble status. The unit was revived under the Emperor Michael VII (1071–1081). His general Nikephoros reorganised the tagmata following the defeat of Manzikert. The Seljuks subsequently over-ran most of Asia Minor, which had provided the main recruiting ground for the pre-Manzikert army. As part of Nikephoros’ reorganisation, some thematic troops were recruited into the ranks of the Athanatoi, thus supplying a new regiment of the tagmata. The new Athanatoi were probably kataphract styled cavalry but I am not sure of this. In March of 1081, Alexios Comnenos, having decided to seize the throne, appeared with an army before the gates of Constantinople which was defended only by the Athanatoi , Varangian Guards and a detachment of Germans guarding the Kharisian Gate. Alexios thought it would be impossible to change the loyalty of the Athanatoi and the Varangians, and so bribed the Germans to open the gate. I don’t know when the Immortals disappeared from the Byzantine order of battle. However the loss of the eastern provinces, the subsequent loss of taxation revenue, the rapacious greed of the Dynatoi, the pronoia system and the resulting shortfall in available strateia recruits forced the Empire to depend increasingly on foreign mercenaries to the detriment of indigenous units such as the Immortals. Jason Price’s Master’s thesis is worth reading if only to see the complexity of the situation Alexios found himself in and how greatly things had changed since the reign of Basil II.
www.deremilitari.org/resources/pdfs/pricej.pdf
Two books you should consult if this period interests you are:
John Haldon. Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World, 565-1204. London: UCL Press, 1999.
Mark C. Bartusis, The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society, 1204-1453. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.
These online resources may be of interest to you as well:
Warfare in 13th century Byzantium, according to George Akropolites
www.deremilitari.org/resources/sources/akropolites.html
Byzantine Warfare in general
www.deremilitari.org/resources/byzantine.htm
It is worth mentioning the Athanatoi. Originally raised by John I Tzimiskes the Athanatoi were a body of young men of noble status. The unit was revived under the Emperor Michael VII (1071–1081). His general Nikephoros reorganised the tagmata following the defeat of Manzikert. The Seljuks subsequently over-ran most of Asia Minor, which had provided the main recruiting ground for the pre-Manzikert army. As part of Nikephoros’ reorganisation, some thematic troops were recruited into the ranks of the Athanatoi, thus supplying a new regiment of the tagmata. The new Athanatoi were probably kataphract styled cavalry but I am not sure of this. In March of 1081, Alexios Comnenos, having decided to seize the throne, appeared with an army before the gates of Constantinople which was defended only by the Athanatoi , Varangian Guards and a detachment of Germans guarding the Kharisian Gate. Alexios thought it would be impossible to change the loyalty of the Athanatoi and the Varangians, and so bribed the Germans to open the gate. I don’t know when the Immortals disappeared from the Byzantine order of battle. However the loss of the eastern provinces, the subsequent loss of taxation revenue, the rapacious greed of the Dynatoi, the pronoia system and the resulting shortfall in available strateia recruits forced the Empire to depend increasingly on foreign mercenaries to the detriment of indigenous units such as the Immortals. Jason Price’s Master’s thesis is worth reading if only to see the complexity of the situation Alexios found himself in and how greatly things had changed since the reign of Basil II.
www.deremilitari.org/resources/pdfs/pricej.pdf
Two books you should consult if this period interests you are:
John Haldon. Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World, 565-1204. London: UCL Press, 1999.
Mark C. Bartusis, The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society, 1204-1453. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.
These online resources may be of interest to you as well:
Warfare in 13th century Byzantium, according to George Akropolites
www.deremilitari.org/resources/sources/akropolites.html
Byzantine Warfare in general
www.deremilitari.org/resources/byzantine.htm
Peter Raftos