John W. Birkenmeier-The Development of the Komnenian Army, 1081-1180 (History of Warfare) 2002.pdf

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HISTORY OF WARFARE

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KOMNENIAN ARMY 1081-1180

General Editor KELL Y DEVRIES Loyola College

BY

JOHN W. BIRKENMEIER FO/llulill,t; Edi/O/:\'

THERESA VANN PAUL CHEVEDDEN

VOLUME 5

BRILL LEIDEN' BOSTON' KOLN 2002

Illustration Ol! the cover: A pole-framed trebuchet illustrated in the manuscript of the Chronicle of]ohn Skylitzes in Madrid (Bib!. Nac. Cod. 5-3, N2, /01. 15 Iv.).

This book is printed on acid-li-ee paper.

Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP.Einheitsaufnahme Birkenmeier,John W. : The development orthe Komnenian army / by John Vv. Birkenmeier. - Leiden j Boston j Koln: Brill, 2002 (History of warfare ; Vcl. 5)

ISBN 90-04-11710-5

To JI1y Mother and Father Library of Congress Cataloging.in-PubIication Data Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is also available

ISSN 0928-0731 ISBN 90 04· 11710 5

© Copyright 2002 by KOllillklilke Brill NT~ Leidell, The Netherlands All fights reserved. No j1Ol't !if this publication 1Il1!)' be reproduced, translaled, stored in a retrieval SjJstem, or transmitted in arry jimn or by an)1 meClllj~ electronic, mechGlzical, Ph%co/!ying, recording or o/hen/lise, wit/lOut prior written permissionfi'DIn the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal 01' /JeI:mllal use is granted 0' Brill provided that the apjJl'OJJriatfJ foes are paid direcl0' 10 The Cop),light Clearance Cente1; 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are sulject 10 change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS

For their love, encouragement and support Throughout my studies

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CONTENTS

Acktl()wlt~dgclncnts

IX

Xl

List of IVlaps ..............................................................................

xv

rvlaps ..........................................................................................

XVII

(ampler Onl' Textual Sources for l2th- and 13th-Century I-li:;t( H'Y .................................................................................... (:haptcl' Tw() Historical Overview of Eleventh- and 'l'wdlth-Celltury Byzantium ..................................................

27

The Campaigns of Alexios I Komnenos

Chapter Three (lOB 1 III B)

..........................................................................

56

Chapter Four The Campaigns of John II Komnenos ( 11113-13) ................................. , ........................................... .

85

Chapll'r Five The Campaigns of Manue! I Komnenos (1 1·1 E:J

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~ 1(' ((I II'ril(' IIlltil hIT hl'lI(hn di('d .l1ltll\('1' IlI'plwlI', ,\LtIIlH'1 I f I H:I IHb, I)IIIOIill('(1 lilt' Iilrnlll'. :-'lam lit' (h(' ('\,(,Ilts Ihal .\1111;1 dt'snilH's (WI'lIITI·t! ill till' d(·rad(· 1)('lil\'l' siit' \\'a~ IHII'II, alld fill' tlll'st' sIit' pla('('~ rt'liall(,(' !Ill ItIT hllSilOlllcl's dll'OlIitlt'. I\(T;tIlS(' nryc'lllliIIS' IIis((lry ('lids ;to; .\I('xins' l'!'igll IWl.\ills. ,\1111"\ d('snip(i(11l ot' tI\(' lir"t I\\('II(Y W;th (d' It('\' 1;1l1t1'l'\ r('i!~11 W spanning the reign of John 11 Komnenos and that of Manuel I until his defeat at the battle of Myriokephalon (1176). We know little about Kinnamos' life and career, although Charles Brand has argued that several of Kinnamos' remarks inclicate he was a soldier.33 Kinnamos claims to have been an eyewit~less at ~he ,battle of Zeugminon in 1165, and his geographical 111[o1'matlO11. IS often precise and detailed, especially so in his de scrip-

II, 90-91', / IteXIOf. . Ie, I , I 63• -64· (4, 7). c fhese accounts arc sufficiently .' :ll' ,PseJloR . ',. sll!lll~l that w~ can assume that Anna had read PseUos, and that she consciously Psellos account. Attaleiates, 159-63, Andronikos Doukas was commander of' the Byzantinc l:cRerve. :'Vhen he I~arned that Romanos was under attack by the Seljuks and was Cl~t off fl ~m the mam b,?dy t1~e army, he took his troops and fled tile Eeld. iVIoHt of the