Recent posts

#61

Ancient and Medieval History / The Normans and Byzantium

Last post by Imperial Dave - Jun 12, 2026, 05:38 AM

https://greekreporter.com/2026/06/11/norman-invasion-byzantine-empire-guiscard/

Hopefully of passing interest as a taster piece

#62

Army Research / Re: Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Last post by nikgaukroger - Jun 11, 2026, 07:27 PM

Khusrau's equipment for man and horse is pretty much the same as the Strategikon describes for a fully equipped front ranker 

#63

Army Research / Re: Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Last post by Andreas Johansson - Jun 11, 2026, 07:06 PM

There appears to be no pictorial or archaeological evidence whatever for Byzantine (or Avar) use of half-armoured horses, but shah Khusrau II had himself depicted riding a half-armoured horse at Taq-e Bostan.

The lack of archaeological evidence isn't particularly surprising - only metal horse armour is likely to survive at all, and what's likely to survive is individual lamellae that you can't readily tell if they were intended as armour for a man or a horse, let alone for half a horse or a whole one - but the lack of pictorial evidence is odder, as is the lack of mention in narrative sources.

The best guess is probably that it existed, but was far from universal even among officers and front-rankers.

This book chapter available online may be of some interest: Equestrian Military Equipment of the Eastern Roman Armies in the Sixth and Seventh Centuries

#64

Army Research / Re: Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Last post by vexillia - Jun 11, 2026, 05:24 PM

That's good to hear.  I've just finished painting a dozen with half-armoured horses. 

#65

Ancient and Medieval History / Re: The western view of Byzant...

Last post by Jim Webster - Jun 11, 2026, 04:59 PM

It's our Australian cousins who are big with the Barbie nowadays. We don't have the weather for it 

#66

Ancient and Medieval History / Re: The western view of Byzant...

Last post by Nick Harbud - Jun 11, 2026, 04:14 PM

Do they call that retirement or martyrdom?

At least they've stopped burning them at the stake.   

#67

Ancient and Medieval History / Re: The western view of Byzant...

Last post by Jim Webster - Jun 11, 2026, 03:51 PM

Of course, one should always remember that history is written not so much by the victors as the literate who, at this time were largely associated with various ecclesiastical establishments.  In particular, western churchmen always had major differences of opinion with their eastern counterparts, both before and after the Great Schism.  This undoubtedly coloured their opinions.  I mean, look how ecclesiastic writers treated Reynald de Châtillon whose only crime was to hang the Archbishop of Antioch outside his castle window until the latter agreed to contribute towards fighting the Saracens.

 

In the CofE hanging your Archbishop is considered an honest aspiration 

#68

Army Research / Re: Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Last post by nikgaukroger - Jun 11, 2026, 03:26 PM

Mentioned for front ranks in the Strategikon and Taktika of Leon. The later manuals don't mention it, only the katafraktoi have horse armour in those.

#69

Army Research / Re: Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Last post by Martin Smith - Jun 11, 2026, 02:12 PM

While trying not to hijack the thread....What's the current view in whether Byzantine cavalry ever rode partially armoured / 1/2 armoured horses?
(I have a bunch of them, 1980's Minifigs, which I trot out now and then....just wondering if at any stage they might actually be 'accurate').

#70

Army Research / Re: Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Last post by stevenneate - Jun 11, 2026, 01:41 PM

John Haldon's book Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World, 565–1204, London: UCL Press, 1999 is probably the best study I've read on the Byzantine army, and he goes into detail contrasting performance with the tactical manuals. He contrasts the variety in expectation and performance between the eastern and western themes in 8-9th centuries, the Golden Age of reforms and performance that came after and problems that eventuated after the 3 great Emperors.

What I got out of this for the Thematic Period of the 8-9th centuries was that all was not as clear cut and uniform as the army lists would have us believe! Quality of mounted archery and equipment was variable from Theme to Theme, infantry was below par and everyone was seldom singing from the same hymn book (reference the two periods of Iconoclasm that seriously distracted the central Empire when enemies were pressing from all sides).

I was so inspired I built the army but my performance with it was so appalling that I turned to iconoclasm, sold it and erased it from my memory.