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The Varangian Guard 988-1453

The Varangian Guard 988-1453

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Raffaele D'Amato 

Illustrated by Giuseppe Rava

 


The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies. Descendants from a legendary line of warriors, the Varangian Guard was formed after a group of Viking mercenaries made a major contribution to the Byzantine Emperor Basil II's victory over rebel forces in 988 AD. These 5,000 men were then retained as Basil's personal guard and would provide loyal service to many successive occupants of the imperial throne. Commonly referred to as 'foreigners' (Etaireia), they were nonetheless absorbed into a new Palatine regiment under command of an officer termed the Akolouthos, who was either a Norsemen or a Rus (Norsemen colonisers of Russia). The Varangians wore mixtures of their native clothing and armour together with a splendid formal Byzantine uniform. But most famously, they always wielded their own traditional battle-axes and in fact this became a sign that the emperor was on the battlefield in person. This is an insightful look of one of the legendary guard units of the medieval world.

 

Book Details 
Published    20 Jun 2010
Format    Paperback
Edition    1st
Extent    48
ISBN    9781849081795
Imprint    Osprey Publishing
Illustrations    40 b/w; 8 col
Dimensions    248 x 184 mm
Series    Men-at-Arms
Short code    MAA 459
Publisher    Bloomsbury Publishing

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