Alan Military Tactics

[Michael Kerr]

Hi Evan, I see your reasoning in regards to the naming of the drills, but if I may add a few points about naming. Like you pointed out Africans & Illyrians had been part of Empire for a while & by Byzantine times enemies have changed.
Italian drill could be used against Ostrogoths and/or Lombards.
African drill against Vandals in Africa even possibly Alans who crossed to Africa with Vandals.
Illyrian drill against Slavs or Bulgars who occupy the old area encompassing Illyria
However the fact that Alans were not lumped with other steppe peoples (Huns, Avars, Sarmatians) as Scythians does puzzle me but Maurice (in Dennis's translation) says of Scythian Drill that tagmas are all formed in the same manner, as in former times & mentions that this used to be part of cavalry games in winter quarters during March. However I don't think Alans were a threat to the empire at that stage although I have read that some Alans rode with Bulgar Huns.
I don't really know how names of drills originated but Maurice's manual like a lot of later Byzantine manuals seem to make a point of having different methods to fight different enemies, but it was just something Alemany mentioned in his footnotes. :?
Regards
Michael Kerr

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I should mention the Bulgar Huns were not Huns, the term Hun seems to refer to steppe people confederations. It is not certain that the huns were a distinct group of Barbarians.

That actually brings up the subject of their origins in fact, could the Huns have had some Iranian origins? I haven't seen that suggested, and we know that the roxolani and Iazyges pushed the scythians over to the area north and east of the Caspian sea, where only 2 centuries later we see the "Hunnoi/Chunnoi" in Pliny and Tacitus (and Ptolemy I think).

That would make sense of the fact the Romans called them Scythians (I should note that term was just as generic as the word Hun, applying to many confederations of Steppe Nomads). The Scythians were superb horse archers, but their symmetric bows were smaller than later asymmetric bows (introduced by the Saka/Massagetae/Alans in the 1st century AD to Europe), and they didn't have the range or power to penetrate Sarmatian cataphract armor. I think it would be fitting revenge if they came back with stirrups and asymmetric bows and drove the Sarmatians out with their new edge.

In terms of reconstructions of Hun and Scythian dress, I do see some similarities.

I (personally) think the Huns were a confederation of the first Turks, Finno-Ugrians, and Iranians, possibly with some Mongolic peoples (The classic Xiongnu, but also possibly the Xionites and Hepathaltites, others may have gone west too).

It would be interesting to consider they possibly may have had some Scythian origins, although further research would be needed.

The only new steppe people I can think of from the time of the Hun confederation are the Acatziri (Priscus' Agatziroi or Akatziroi). They came over with the Hunnic confederations but were subjects of them, which supports the theory that the Huns were not a distinct barbarian people necessarily.

I should note they seem to have no connection with the previous Agathyrsi or the later Ah-Khazars.

[Renatus]

Evan,

You have mentioned in this thread certain things that you were looking for. I may be able to help with some of them. Let me know what is still outstanding and I will see what I can do.

[Michael Kerr]

Evan, regarding Alan drill and the other drills mentioned by Maurice & the regions they are named after. On re-reading Stratigikon on cavalry I noticed something that has been overlooked (at least by me) in the discussion & that was that Maurice says the Scythian, Alan & African manoeuvres are simulated drills not meant for battle but the exercise yard while the Italian drill is for actual use & it was a 2 line formation with the 2nd line within a bow shot of 1st line for support & Macedon is probably correct when he said

they were called so because. of certain tactics within them that were adopted and fitted into the Roman manner only.

However in my copy (Dennis) from my reading the Illyrian drill is a variant of the African drill in which Central Moira has assault troops and wings consist of defenders.

Maurice mentions

each formation or drill should be identified in a special way, so the soldiers who are trained in these manoeuvres may recognize the differences and not be puzzled by them. Now there are three simulated formations: the Scythian, the Alan, the African; and one for actual use, the Italian.
The Italian system is both a formation and a drill which, in our opinion, is suitable for use against any people. It consists of two lines, a front line and a support, with assault troops and defenders, with flank guards, outflankers, and detachments for ambush, all of which has been explained above and illustrated by diagrams.

Interesting that Spanish riding tactics like Cantabrian circle so admired by Arrian seems to have lost favour by Maurice's time. So it it looks like Alemany, who I find is usually conservative with assuptions on sources concerning Alans probably got it wrong with this one.
Regards
Michael Kerr

[Flavivs Aetivs]

If anyone has the texts of Gregory of Tours or the Vita Germani (St. Germanus of Auxerre) those would be great.

[Alanus]

A calo (boy).

hee hee. 8-)

Robert,

Thanks for that-- "A calo." Yes, I will post pics of the armor. Right after pumping weights and building myself up. :wink:

To Evan,

Gregory of Tours is hard to get. I checked out a copy from the Maine State Library years ago. Greg mentions the Taifali, still having a presence. I wonder about the accuracy of the Vita Germani, having read the psudo-historical Vita Cadoc (or whatever it's called in Latin).

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Well the Vita Germani is almost impossible to get - I can't even find the French version. Might be able to get it through Inter-Library Loan.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Was looking at the Vita Germani and it says that at the Battle of Mold Germanus used a "New Model" for the British Army. What does this mean, is it possible a new model for the Roman Army was introduced between 410 and 429?

I wonder if this means that the British legions were using an older model from the transitional period of the 4th century, and had not yet adopted the model in the Notitia when Britain has all its Military units withdrawn to Gaul in 407 or so (of course that is IF it was abandoned in 407-410, its likely the Romans didn't give up on the province altogether until 430 or so).

[Robert Vermaat]

Was looking at the Vita Germani and it says that at the Battle of Mold Germanus used a "New Model" for the British Army. What does this mean, is it possible a new model for the Roman Army was introduced between 410 and 429?

Are you referring to the Vita Germani by Constantius of Lyon? I was not aware of a location of this battle? The 'halleluiah battle', right?
The sentence is: "Here he stationed an army on a new model, under his own command." If he really reorganised the army, doing so on the eve of a battle is quite late in the day! I think that the author did not refer to the actual organisation mode of the army itself. We must of course wonder what the author even knew of military matters. The battle is supposed to have taken place somewhere before 432, while Constantius began to write his Vita after 480.

I wonder if this means that the British legions were using an older model from the transitional period of the 4th century, and had not yet adopted the model in the Notitia when Britain has all its Military units withdrawn to Gaul in 407 or so (of course that is IF it was abandoned in 407-410, its likely the Romans didn't give up on the province altogether until 430 or so).

I don't think so. Apart from what I argued above, we know from the Notitia Dignitatum that new model units were stationed in Britain. The new model army was introduced between Diocletian and Constantine, which makes it unlikely that this had not reached Britain. of course, as along the Danube, there were still cohorts and alae in Britain, which were still organised along older lines. Units within a certain diocese were never 'entirely new' of course. There was always the difference between the mobile field army troops and the border troops.

[Michael Kerr]

Alanus wrote:

My name is Alan but I have Italian-Scottish roots.

You may well have Alanic roots even with your Italian-Scottish heritage. The Genoese had trading colonies in the northern Black Sea area like Caffa, on the Crimean peninsula or Tana, on the Don & in the 13th & 14th centuries there was a thriving slave trade going on because of the demand from both West & East, Europe in the west needed cheap labour in its recovery from the effects of plague "The Black Death" & also from the east, especially Egypt to fill its army ranks (Mamluks) & harems. Slaves sold at these colonies were of diverse origin, including Alans, Cumans, Mongols, Russians, Circasians etc. with no distinction except they came from the territories of The Golden Horde. I suppose many would be prisoners of war or prisoners from raids, some were even sold by their desperate parents, so life under the Horde must have been harsh for the losers. These slaves were the object of many transactions of which numerous notarial deeds remain. Below is a small list Alemany had in his book covering mainly Alans. So you never know. :?


[attachment=8191]slavelist.jpg[/attachment]


Regards
Michael Kerr

[Alanus]

Good grief! Maybe you're right. :woot:

Interesting that the Alans, whom Ammianus notes as having no slavery, became slave traders... and slaves. :whistle:

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I should note the Alans were gone in the 13th century, the last of them were called ossetians and they only persisted into the 8th or 9th century

[Alanus]

I should note the Alans were gone in the 13th century, the last of them were called ossetians and they only persisted into the 8th or 9th century

That time-frame sounds about right. A large group of Christian Alans were mercenaries under Kubli Khan, I think recorded by Father Pelligrini. At that time, about 30,000 of them were living on the mainland across from Formosa. Obviously, this figure must have included families.

[Michael Kerr]

Yet even after they were supposedly destroyed as a political entity by the Golden Horde they still resisted a few years longer in the Caucusus.
Friar William of Rubruck who was sent by St Louis of France as ambassador to the Mongol empire left an account of his journey during 1253-55 and he gave some interesting insights about the Alans even after they were supposedly conquered, he noted on his journey through the Caucusus that

To the south we had very high mountains, inhabited, on the slopes facing that wasteland, by the Circassians and the Alans or Aas, who are Christians and are still fighting against the Tartars.

When he asked why the Mongols had allocated 20 men to escort him through a mountainous pass near the Iron Gate he was bluntly told

In those mountains the Alans still resist

I think some moved deeper into the Caucusus, some submitted & a few joined the Cumans in their trek westward & ended up in Hungary. I think they became known as the Jassi.
BTW Alanus, I see in previous threads you often mention the sword & armour making skills of Roxolani/Alans if I can just add a few more of Friar William's observations on the armour of the Alans.
Friar William was curious about his escort's armour, he saw that 2 wore impressive looking "habergeons" or coats of mail & on inquiring about the makers of the armour he was told that they were obtained from the Alans, "who are good artificers and the best smiths". At the court of Mongke he saw 2 Alans present themselves before him armed in coats made of curved pieces of stiff leather, which were very uncomfortable & cumbersome while on foot.
Another source in regards to armour & weapons is Laonicus Chalcocondyles an Athenian writer (ca.1432-90) writing about Emperor John IV Comnenus of Trezibond he mentions in his work.

It seems that the Alans are spread out to the foot of the Caucusus; they are considered by far to be the best warriors in combat, and to make exceptional corselets. They take part in the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, speak a language of their very own and forge a kind of bronze weapon, the so-called "Alanica".

I have never heard of an alanica.
Regards
Michael Kerr

[Michael Kerr]

Alanus wrote:

That time-frame sounds about right. A large group of Christian Alans were mercenaries under Kubli Khan, I think recorded by Father Pelligrini. At that time, about 30,000 of them were living on the mainland across from Formosa. Obviously, this figure must have included families.

I have looked through some Chinese & Franciscan sources & you are correct, he wrote from Beijing about Friar John of Monte Corvino (Archbishop of Khan Baliq who died in 1328) that the Alans were good Christians and that 30,000 Alan troops were in the pay of the great king & their families turn to Friar John who comforts & preaches to them. However Father Pelligrini writes 30,000 troops as well as their families. However those figures indicate a group of possibly 75,000 to 100,000. So 30,000 total with possibly 6000 fighting men sounds more realistic. They were known to the Yuan as the Asud & fought in the Imperial army under the direct authority of the emperor, they were considered elite troops & sometimes acted as bodyguards & were based around Beijing as opposed to the territorial armies scattered throughout the empire. Apparently they fought a series of campaigns firstly against Sichuan province, the struggle for succession between Kublai Khan & his brother, the repression of a few rebellions (echoes of how earlier Alans were used in Gaul by Aetius) & the conquest of the Song empire as well as Kublai's long contest for Central Asia with Qaidu. Just a bit of Alan trivia. Because he was one of the few Christians in Chinese court an Alan named Thorgay was part of the first Yuan Chinese delegation that travelled to Europe & established diplomatic relations between the Pope & Yuan emperor in 1338. However this promising start came to nothing when last Mongol (Yuan) emperor fled China in 1368. Sorry to stray from topic but Alans weren't finished after their country was destroyed by Golden Horde & put their fighting skills to good use leaving their footprint from Pacific to Atlantic Oceans & south to Africa as well.
Regards
Michael Kerr