02-06-2001, 12:41 PM
Salve,<br>
<br>
The Byzantines thought of themselves as hoi Rhomaioi, the Romans, and would have been insulted if they were called Hellenoi, Greeks, because in that period this had the connotation of pagan and was thus offensive for orthodox christians. It was only in the last couple of centuries that the identification with Hellas, Greece, was becoming acceptable for Byzantines and the initial negative added meaning of Hellenos of pagan was lost. Nevertheless they considered themselves Romans till the very end.<br>
<br>
The Byzantine army continued to use Latin as the language of command for centuries. In the handbook of Maurice such Latin commands are still preserved. In addition much of the offical terminology consisted of transliterated Latin words in Greek. The development of the Byzantine army was such that the last remaining traces of its late Roman origins disappeared in the course of the late tenth and eleventh centuries. The later Byzantine armies were quite distinct from the earlier armies in its character and structure.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
<br>
The Byzantines thought of themselves as hoi Rhomaioi, the Romans, and would have been insulted if they were called Hellenoi, Greeks, because in that period this had the connotation of pagan and was thus offensive for orthodox christians. It was only in the last couple of centuries that the identification with Hellas, Greece, was becoming acceptable for Byzantines and the initial negative added meaning of Hellenos of pagan was lost. Nevertheless they considered themselves Romans till the very end.<br>
<br>
The Byzantine army continued to use Latin as the language of command for centuries. In the handbook of Maurice such Latin commands are still preserved. In addition much of the offical terminology consisted of transliterated Latin words in Greek. The development of the Byzantine army was such that the last remaining traces of its late Roman origins disappeared in the course of the late tenth and eleventh centuries. The later Byzantine armies were quite distinct from the earlier armies in its character and structure.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
