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I think this is better for the Roman or Off topic Thread.
The 12 Chairetismoi (Greetings) atributed to patriarch Sergios are given in 12 Fridays during the 40 days fast and they are recited all in the 14th Friday.
Each one has two verses that start with the letters of the alphabet so all 24 are covered. They are to comemorate the succesful repulse of the Avars against Constadinopolis at the time of Emperor Herakios. The victory was atributed to Virgin Mary and the hymns are known as Akathistos Hymnos = The Hymn you say standing.
The congregation has to be standing when they are recited.
The only known Byzantine battle cry is "Nika o Aetos" = "The Eagle wins".
It is associated with the Army of Vasilios II the "Bulgarianslayer".
Military saints are patrons of various army sections and the tradition is caried out to moderm Greece.
St. George Infantry (up to today)
St. Demetrios Cavalry
St. Theodor Generals, staff
St. Barbara Pioneers, Artilery (up to today)
St. Nickolas navy (up to today)
St. Irine Vigiles (up to today in Police)
St. Martinos (Martin) Mercenaries unofficial. Bad reputation ehh?
Cherete you use to a group of people from midday to early evening even today. Late Byzantine period greeting are like modern Greek greetings.
Hope I helped
Kind regards
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Stephanos,
Any commands for slingers, such as when to loose in a volley, etc.?
Cheers,
Adam
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slingers were skirmisers and most commands are in regards to their positioning.
AKROVOLISTES PROSO = skirmishers forward.
They pass through open hoplite ranks to harash the enemy and they are recalled by the trumpet.
other commands
ΦYΛΑΞΙΣ-Filaxis = cover with shield
ETOIMOI = be ready for preparation
The command to shoot is BAΛETE=VALETE! (from BOΛH= shot (ballistics!))
The commadt to the trumpeteer to recall them is ANAKΛHΣΙΣ=ANAKLISIS.
When on the march or in the camp the drill commads:
ΣΤΟΙΧΟΙΘΕΙΤΕ-Stichithite = dress ranks
-Empros trochadin marsh = on the double!
ΜΕΤΑΒΟΛΗ-Metavoli = About face.
ΕΝΑ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΡΟ-Ena aristero = one left - strike down left foot when marching.
ΤΟYΣ ΖYΓΟYΣ ΛYΣΑΤΕ-Tous zigous lisate = Dismissed - turn right, strike left foot and break ranks.
ΣΙΩΠΗΣΑΤΕ-Siopisate = Be silent
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Stefanos,
Thanks! You're awesome....karma point for you...
Cheers,
Adam
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Stefanos,
Sorry to join in so late. This material is excellent. I think the Strategikon of Mavrikios provides similar but different Byzantine drill and command material. Do you have a source for "Nika o Aetos?" (My other interest is as you may have guessed Middle Byzantium.)
Peter Raftos
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Peter , the book I read about "Nika O Aetos" was quoting Nikitas Choniates.
The trouble is that Choniates lived in early 13th century so the source really must be Skylitzes, but I have not read his text.
Kind regards
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Stefanos,
You are a champion, I have the Vasiliki Tsamakda facsimile of Skylitzes by Alexandros Press here. Now I know how I'll spend the rest of tonight. Many thanks.
Peter Raftos
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Stefanos & Peter
you both seems to be very knowledgeable on Byzantines historians:
I'm even so ignorant about my Byzantine legacy!
could one of you list all the avalible book of Byzantine Historians?.
I think I got Cyril Magno but I havent reed it.
Of course I'm more interested in my family, but I have to know about Byzantium Imperium since it birth to it death, to understand later it reborn! :lol:
PS: Few nights ago I was reeding a magazine of Byzantine stuff, I felt like a fire inside me, a good feeling I can't explain! 
Thanks
Gioi.
Remarks by Philip on the Athenian Leaders:
Philip said that the Athenians were like the bust of Hermes: all mouth and dick.
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Gioi,
If you are looking for Byzantine sources in translation there is a great preliminary list prepared by Paul Halsall in 1997:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/alltexts.html
See Byzantine historiography here:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantiu ... torio.html
His Byzantine sources on the web is a little dated but a great place to start:
http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/byzantium/
For readabilty start with John Julius Norwich's material - Byzantium: The Early Centuries, Byzantium: The Apogee and Byzantium: The Decline and Fall; A Short History of Byzantium;- panoramic but a good introduction.
Thats just for starters
Cheers
Peter Raftos
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Double Laudes when I can 4 you Peter!
That is my stuff! ....thanks Alot! 
Remarks by Philip on the Athenian Leaders:
Philip said that the Athenians were like the bust of Hermes: all mouth and dick.
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My Pleasure. Now Stefanos, after hunting though Skylitzes without any luck, I think that the source of "Nika O Aetos" must be Choniates himself -probably his History, in 21 books, (of the period from 1118 to 1207.) Another book to find, he sighs. According to the Halsall list an english translation of some of his works is available: O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniates, trans. Harry J. Magoulias, (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1984) But I digress and have strayed way too far from the topic.
Peter Raftos
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Sorry I cannnot help more because my bool was quating others so I do not know more details.
Kind regards
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You have been a great help already. I just have to get more primary sources to read. Many Thanks
Peter Raftos
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Khairete!
Please allow me to jump in and return to the original list...
Do we have any documented use of any references to the Dioscuri (Castor and Polideuces) by the Lakeadaemonians (they had a very prominent temple in the middle of Sparta), or any references to Herakles by Athenians?
This is a very interesting thread...
Should we expect any references to Poseidon for the naval battles?
We know that the Spartans had as their principal deities Apollo, Ares, the Dioscuri and Athena, although, there was a host of other very important gods, of course. The Athenians had Athena, Zeus and probably Herakles? I seem to recall that Poseidon had an important cult center in Corinth...
Anyway, my point is that should we expect a certain polarization towards invocations of the main town deities by troops of those towns? Or was there a somewhat widespread consensus of the different kind of invocations in certain situations, times or places?
Just curious, because I have a Delian League army ready to fight--in my novel--, and these kind of things would be really cool to depict realistically...
Lastly, the Spartans sang the paean to Apollo; and we know all Greeks sang it at Cunaxa, but would all Greek troops sing a paean before battle, and were there paeans to other deities, like Zeus, for example?
ithanks!
Episkopos P. Lilius Frugius Simius Excalibor, :. V. S. C., Pontifex Maximus, Max Disc Eccl
David S. de Lis - my blog: <a class="postlink" href="http://praeter.blogspot.com/">http://praeter.blogspot.com/
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If the Delian League Army is in the Early period where Pausanias and Leotyxidas or othe Sprtan were in commad then the Spartan battle cry of "Artemis Agrothera" would be droped in favour of "Zeus Sotir Niki" because it would be a multi city-state army and "unplesand memories" of prievious infighting need not being reminded.
The commands/battle cries ENNOSIGEOS (Poseidon) or SIN ATHINI CHEIRA KINI would aid rowers keep tempo.
Possilby a Delian League Army would despence of a long Pean to avoid comfusion between Ionic and Doric troops used to sing in different dialects.
Kind regards
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