Structural Organization of the Late Byzantine Army

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I have a question abotu how the late Byzantine army was organized, I know some terms for units from the 14th century and the like (i.e. Mourtatoi, Almogavars, Paramonai) but don't know anything about how it was organized and stuff, and am interested to learn more about the army in the post-1204 and Palaiologian-ish era.

[Nikanor]

Nice question very simple to answer: there was simply no "Byzantine" army (you mean Eastern Roman army as it is its correct name). Post 1204, the armies employed by the Greek Despotates were for the most mercenary forces as the Despots had not really any firm touch with a Greek population, the latter being largely uninterested in participating in their feudal games. Local Greek men would join an army mostly in exchange of payment and lands, i.e. they would be recruited much as any other mercenary and naturally being more expensive and more difficult to rule (due to local ongoing politics), it meant that Despots largely preferred mercenary forces. Local Greeks were employed equally by enemies of the Greek despotates, namely the latin and turkish feudal states.

We have to bear in mind that this is a long period of fragmentation that lasted almost 3 centuries with the disintegration of the Empire having already started even before the 1204 latin conquest of Constantinople, practically after the death of Ioannis B' Komnenos in 1143 (with Manuel rather enjoying the legacy of Ioannis rather than being capable to stop the ongoing process of political regression into feudalisation of the Empire - by 1180 already large chunks of the Empire were unofficially feuds of local aristocrats - thus feudalism did not arrive with the Latins but rather invited in the Latins). In post 1204, we are certainly talking about small feudal armies of locals and mercenaries employed by Greek Despotates and their Latin and Turkish equivalent feuds. To put numbers, the armies rarely exceeded the limit of 5000 men.

Under that light, the feudal armies of the Greek despotates comprised with whatever was available in the greater region of E.Europe and E.Mediteranean for hiring. From Hungarian Cumans to Mourtatoi (based on Turkoman tribes hired pretty much by everyone), Almogavars (based on Catalan mercenaries fighting for everyone but mostly for themselves, for loot), Albanians (a central Balkan tribe who were established in modern-day norther/central Albania by the Greek Despots of Epirus, eventually hired by all, particularly the Venitians) - and Despots would had used even more the Bulgarians and Serbians against the Latins and Turks, if the latter had not showed interests of overtaking the fragmented south for themselves. By all means local Greeks were also hired, mostly by Greek Despotates but also increasingly by Latin and Turkish feudal states - the latter not only via child-abduction-based Janissaries and via forced/bribed conversions but sometimes via direct recruits among the christian population. It is interesting that as early as in the battle of Myriokefalon 1176, the vast majority of the Turkish army were local ex. christian muslim converts Minor Asian recruits to the point that Turks who revisited the place to hide their substantially higher losses had to distinguish the dead by cutting haircuts and genitalia of Roman and Turkish dead soldiers alike - which would not be enough had Turkish soldiers been tribal-Turks, easily distinguishable even from body-type let alone face type from local Minor Asians).

The above bears also one important detail here: Note that the "titles" of units employed were simply "titles" and did not necessarily describe precisely the style, organisation or the ethnic origins of a particular unit. In Eastern Roman history afterall this is a well known fact and it was practically a tradition. In reality this was also inscribed in their overall military strategy - i.e. never using titles with precise definitions for military units (i.e. a local tagma could be 500 men or 5000 men, the Varangian guard could be manned not by Russian Scandinavians but also by English Saxons, Germans, Slavs, even the neighbours, less exotic to E.Romans, Serbs and Bulgarians. Thus when you hear about units like Mourtatoi, based on Turkoman archers, these did not comprise necessarily of Turkomen but could potentially start as a 200-300 men unit of Turkomen later on increased with addition of locals and mercenaries trained in the same tactics, to form a 800-1000 men unit maintaining the name. Another well known example is the "gasmule". The word comes possibly from French garcon-mule, i.e. these were the product of intermarriages of Latin/Frankish conquerors and local Greek women, not any "tribe" on their own as their numbers were limited but as this mostly happened in the Latin controlled small Greek islands where we talk about small visible populations they formed a particular ambiguous social class: Initially in the 13th century they were treated by local Greeks as Latin/Frankish (and as a terrible sign of their defeat and denigration to the lowly barbarians) and were seen by Latin/Frankish as their own folks. The anti-Greek chronicle of Morea is written by such a gasmule. However, as time passed, in the 14th the latter did not trust them, not without base since many gasmules (by then intermarried increasingly to the Greek side) were allying to local Greeks. Greek Despots who lacked terribly navies (with the Aegean being controlled by Venitians and Genovese) employed them as a means to rebuilt local Greek navies, hence soon the term "Gasmule" ended up implying simply the military sailor rather than any family origin, with most gasmules actually being local Greeks and even a few unrelated mercenaries (including Latin ones).

As said, this is an era of fragmentation. Anything went quickly and anything depended on the spur of the moment. Concentrating on armies is only a side-story at the end of the day. The greater games were played on the financial-commercial level with powers Venice and Genova handling the affairs in the region so as to control international Eurasian traderoutes with the least amount of money spent on military campaigns and wars - with Venice historically established as the hugest concentration of geopolitical power (i.e. in such a small city), in the span of human history.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Thanks, that helps a lot. I figured the Pronoiar system from the Komnenian Era would dominate what little greek troops there were, as you mentioned already.

But were there any "Greek" troop types (like, named ones)? And also, where did the Paramonai come from?

[hoplite14gr]

It seems that the Pronoia provided "local" Byzantine horsemen and the Latinikon (western knights) were either hired or captured "Romanian Franks" were pressganged.

In Semlin (12th cent) there were a German unit and and an Italian unit of "Latinikoi"
In Pelagonia (13th cent) there were a Germa unit and a Hungarian unit.

For the Latinikon please see here:

http://stefanosskarmintzos.wordpress.com...byzantium/

[Flavivs Aetivs]

So the paramonai were latinkon?

[hoplite14gr]

I checked a bit Mark C. Bartusis work on the subject.
http://books.google.gr/books?id=rUs-hHd8...ai&f=false

and then here by Benedict Benedikz
http://books.google.gr/books?id=vFRug14u...ai&f=false

Except Bartusis who gives a contemporary account of an indivdual who says Paramonai were "of our own" meaning Byzantoine troops there litle about the unit.

The transcaltion of the verb "parameno" is not correct. In Greek parameno means "stay over" or "still after something was done" or "still stay even if I do not have to".

If the unit existed from the 12th cent. according to Benedikz, then -based on their name- might be composed from men form other units (in greek paramenontes), mostly Byzantine but individuals of Western origine might have been inncluded.

Kind regards

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I checked a bit Mark C. Bartusis work on the subject.
http://books.google.gr/books?id=rUs-hHd8...ai&f=false

and then here by Benedict Benedikz
http://books.google.gr/books?id=vFRug14u...ai&f=false

Except Bartusis who gives a contemporary account of an indivdual who says Paramonai were "of our own" meaning Byzantoine troops there litle about the unit.

The transcaltion of the verb "parameno" is not correct. In Greek parameno means "stay over" or "still after something was done" or "still stay even if I do not have to".

If the unit existed from the 12th cent. according to Benedikz, then -based on their name- might be composed from men form other units (in greek paramenontes), mostly Byzantine but individuals of Western origine might have been inncluded.

Kind regards

Thanks! I looked at wikipedia last night which says that paramonai means "to stand near to." My latin teacher knows Classical and Medieval greek I think, so I'll ask her as well. Meanings do change after all.

Wikipedia also said they were greek troops consisting of 2 allagoi, one of horse and one of infantry. I'm looking at your links now to see how correct that is. Thanks for your help guys.

[Macedon]

the verb means "stand/stay/dwell by for a prolonged time" and "keep standing/staying by or remain/linger", so it would not be used in a sentence like "the man standing (at the time) by me in line" In this context it would mean : "the man keeping (contrary to certain adverse conditions) by me in line".

This is the LSJ entry

παραμένω, poet. παρμένω Pi.P.8.40, S.Ichn.169 (trim.): —stay beside or near, stand by, οὐδέ τις αὐτῷ Ἀργείων παρέμεινε Il.11.402, cf. 15.400; παράμεινον τὸν βίον ἡμῖν Ar.Pax 1108 (hex.), cf. Pl.Ap.39e, al. ; of slaves, remain, stay, opp. δραπετεύω, ἀποδιδράσκω, Id.Men. 97d, X.Oec.3.4; in Law, of slaves whose manumission was deferred, SIG1208 (Thespiae, ii B. C.), etc. : hence Παρμένων, Trusty, as a slave's name, Men.Sam.302, etc. II. abs., stand one's ground, stand fast, Il.13.151, cf. Hdt.1.82, 6.14, Ar.Pl.440, etc.; more fully, μάχαις τλάμονι ψυχᾷ π. Pi.P.1.48; παρμένοντας αἰχμᾷ ib.8.40; εὐανθεῖ ἐν ὀργᾷ π. ib.1.89; πρὸς τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τῶν ἔργων Th.3.10; ἀδύνατός εἰμι . . παραμένειν to remain with the army, Id.7.15; offortune, remain steady. παραμένει γὰρ οὐδὲ ἕν Men.51. 2. stay at a place, stay behind or at home, Hdt.1.64, Antipho 5.13, And.1.2. 3. survive, remain alive, Hdt.1.30. 4. of things, endure, last, Id.3.57, etc. ; ἀεὶ παραμένουσα [ἡ φύσις] E.El.942; π. ἡ πολιτεία Lys.25.28; αἱ εὐπραγίαι Isoc.7.13; ἡ ὑγίεια X.Cyr.1.6.17, etc.; δίχα τῆς σφοδρότητος π. τὸ μέγεθος Longin.9.13; of money, stay by one, last for ever, Alex. 281, Timocl.9.1, Men.128.2; of wine, last, keep good, εἰς τριγονίαν π. ἐν ἀπιττώτοις ἄγγεσι Str.11.10.1, cf. Ostr.Bodl. i 145 (iii/ii B. C.), Plu. 2.655f.

The paramonae of Pseudo-Codinus seem to be nothing else but a bodyguard "unit" in the emperor's palace. The writer writes in one of the instances he mentions their name :

"ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ δὲ τοῦ παλατίου στρατιῶται ὀνομαζόμενοι οὕτω παραμοναί" which is translated as : "in the courtyard of the palace (there are) soldiers who are thus called paramonae". So Codinus suggests that the name is given because they stood by (again in a prolonged sense) the emperor's quarters.

In the Ecloga Basilicorum (AD 9-13 c.) they are mentioned as :

"Τὸ διδόμενον ἐπὶ ἀποκαταστάσει προνόμιον τοῖς ἀποδημοῦσι στρατιώταις δίδοται καὶ τοῖς διάγουσιν ἐν Ῥώμῃ στρατιώταις χάριν τυχὸν τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως φυλακῆς, οὓς σήμερον, ὡς οἶμαι, καλοῦμεν παραμονάς·" (10.35.7.)

Again, the paramonae are soldiers who serve as the emperor's boduguards.

In the De Re Militari (AD 6-10 c.)

"ἐν δὲ τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ δρουγγαρίου τῆς βίγλας αἱ παραμοναὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρχόντων ἔν τε ἡμέρᾳ καὶ νυκτὶ προσεδρευέτωσαν." (1.166.)

the paramonae here are men who belong to the retinue of the general and the other officers. They could be bodyguards or not...Dennis just translates "attendants.

In Porphyrogenitus' De cerimoniis aulae Byzantinae (lib. 1.84–2.56) :

τοὺς δὲ ὁδηγοὺς καθ’ ἕκαστον θέμα κατεῖχεν ὁ δρουγγάριος τῆς βίγλης· ὑπῆρχον δὲ ὑπ’ αὐτῷ καὶ αἱ παραμοναὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν πρὸς τὸ δι’ αὐτοῦ μηνύειν τοῖς στρατηγοῖς τὰ κελευόμενα αὐτοῖς"

the paramonae are men of the generals who are tasked to stay with the druggarios of the Vigla in order to relate his orders to them.

G. Metochites writes (AD 13 c.) :

ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν ἐν ἀρχείοις ταγμάτων ἀπολεξάμενοι· ὧν τοῖς μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας οὖσι φυλῆς ἡ προσηγορία παραμοναὶ, τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐθνικῆς καὶ ἀλλοδαπῆς βάραγκοι προσηγόρευται·" (Historiae dogmaticae liber I. ,s. 89.)

Here the soldiers in the "head-quarters" are called Varangi if non-Roman, paramonae if Roman.

In conclusion, it seems that the word plainly means "bodyguard/attendant". Later Byzantine native household/bodyguard units of the Emperor also bore this appelation.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I see. I followed hoplite's links and read that the mourtatoi were also called bodyguards by Pseudo-Kodinus.

So I guess these were general terms referring to Greek Bodyguards, Varangi for Norman/Anglian and Mourtatoi for turkish guards?

Also I'd imagine if there were 2 allagia of them they'd see a lot of fighting considering Byzantium didn't have a lot of troops to spare...

[hoplite14gr]

In the light of the Metochitis passage that George gave I accept that in the 13th century the non Varagian guargs were called "paramonae".

Evan you are right that with the sparcity of troops in the late period guards would nmot be just a paded formation.

George I think that "paramonae" as a term for bodyguards probably was establishes in the 13th century.
From what I gather from the other texts is that "paramonae" were few troops that were detached from their main unit to serve as retinues and not a unitat least not till 1200 AD.

Kind regards

[Macedon]

Unfortunately, Stefanos, the relevant texts are not dated with adequate certainty (at least according to TLG, I do not pretend to have further studied the issue). Pseudo-Codinus is given as AD 10/15 (!!!), Ecloga Basilicorum AD 9/13... So I cannot say whether the paramonae as a unit existed prior to the 13th century, which because of these texts may be dated as far back as the 9th century... Regarding the name as a regular, generic (of course "non-unit") word, I guess it has to have predated its use as a unit which is confirmed by its presence in the De Re Militari.