Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Byzantine Warfare in the Tenth Century

Dumbarton Oaks
Eric McGeer
ISBN: 0884022242
price: $40.00  

The military achievements of the emperors Nikephoros Phokas, John Tzimiskes, and Basil II, brought the Byzantine Empire to the height of its power by the early eleventh century.
This volume presents new editions and translations of two military treatises-the Praecepta militaria of Nikephoros Phokas, and the revised version included in the Taktika of Nikephoros Ouranos-that outline the tactical system used by Byzantine armies in campaigns against Muslim forces in Cilicia and Syria. The products of experienced soldiers, the Praecepta and the Taktika offer a realistic view of Byzantine warfare, and show the sophistication of Byzantine military science.
The commentary sets the treatises in their military historical context, and goes on to examine the composition of Byzantine field armies, the habits and strengths of their enemies, the tactics prescribed for infantry and cavalry in battle, and the procedures for marching and camping in hostile lands. With reference to other military handbooks and the historical sources, the commentary explores the factors that led the Byzantine army to fight and campaign as it did, and elicits the human elements of morale, discipline, and leadership that spelled the difference between failure and success.