Byzantine Armies AD 1118–1461

Byzantine Armies AD The Byzantine Empire s disastrous defeat by the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert in effectively marked the end of what is often described as the middle period of Byzantine history Thereafter surrounded

The Byzantine Empire s disastrous defeat by the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert in 1071 effectively marked the end of what is often described as the middle period of Byzantine history Thereafter, surrounded on all sides by younger, vigorous nations, the once all powerful Empire slipped into a steady decline which, ultimately, was to prove terminal However, the Empire sThe Byzantine Empire s disastrous defeat by the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert in 1071 effectively marked the end of what is often described as the middle period of Byzantine history Thereafter, surrounded on all sides by younger, vigorous nations, the once all powerful Empire slipped into a steady decline which, ultimately, was to prove terminal However, the Empire s demise was anything but peaceful, and, one way or another, for much of the last four centuries of its existence it was to find itself in a state of virtually constant war This book examines the fascinating history of the Byzantine Empire and its armies from 1118 1461 AD.