Raffaele D’Amato The Varangian Guard 988–1453 (Paperback) Men-at-ArmsAnother great item from Rarewaves USA | Free delivery!
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Raffaele D’Amato The Varangian Guard 988–1453 (Paperback) Men-at-Arms. Title: The Varangian Guard 988–1453. Author: Raffaele D’Amato. The Varangians wore mixtures of their native clothing and armour together with a splendid formal Byzantine uniform. Topic: Military History, History. Further DetailsTitle: The Varangian Guard 988–1453 Condition: New Author: Raffaele D’Amato Publisher: Osprey Publishing Format: Paperback Illustrator: Giuseppe Rava Contributor: Giuseppe Rava (Illustrated by) ISBN-10: 1849081794 EAN: 9781849081795 ISBN: 9781849081795 Release Date: 06/20/2010 Language: English Country/Region of Manufacture: GB Genre: Law & Politics Topic: Military History, History Item Height: 248mm Item Length: 184mm Item Width: 5mm Item Weight: 186g Description: The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies. Descendants from a legendary line of warriors, the Varangian Guard was formed after a group of Viking mercenaries made a major contribution to the Byzantine Emperor Basil II's victory over rebel forces in 988 AD. These 5,000 men were then retained as Basil's personal guard and would provide loyal service to many successive occupants of the imperial throne. Commonly referred to as 'foreigners' (Etaireia), they were nonetheless absorbed into a new Palatine regiment under command of an officer termed the Akolouthos, who was either a Norsemen or a Rus (Norsemen colonisers of Russia).The Varangians wore mixtures of their native clothing and armour together with a splendid formal Byzantine uniform. But most famously, they always wielded their own traditional battle-axes and in fact this became a sign that the emperor was on the battlefield in person.This is an insightful look of one of the legendary guard units of the medieval world. Series: Men-at-Arms Release Year: 2010 Missing Information?Please contact us if any details are missing and where possible we will add the information to our listing.
