The Byzantine Army, Dark To Golden Age 

The western Europeans called the Empire "Greek" in Latin, as they wanted to de-legitimize the Roman heritage of the Eastern Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, perceived that as an insult, as the translation of "Graecus" in Greek, meant at that time "pagan". They called themselves Romans, but in Greek, "Romaioi". The word "Byzantine" was coined by historians during the 19th century. The first term that was considered to be used in modern historiography was the "Graeco-Roman" Empire. It would be most accurate, but also confusing, as the term "graeco-roman" is used in art and sports in a completely different context. The term "Byzantine" was preferred, as it was indeed used by some "Byzantine" scholars during the 12th and 13th century, when remembering the Greek past of the Empire was no longer considered shameful, and Constantinople was compared by some Byzantines as "a new Byzantium" during some correspondence with western academics. If you think about it, calling them "Byzantines" is an indirect way of calling them "Greeks". The actual ancient "Byzantines" were in fact the Greek founders of the colony of Byzantium, that was later replaced by Constantinople.

@Atreas40000 Thanks for the great comment! "Graeco-Roman" Empire does have an element of precision I like.

Graceo-Roman would by far be the most accurate term to describe both the people and character of the Empire. Also the Greek identity rebirth under the successor Empire of Nicaea really cant be evidence for the Actual Byzantine Empire saying as how Nicaea was actually all Greek ethically and territory wise and far more culturally wise. In my opinion in academics Roman civilization should separated like this Roman Kingdom Roman Republic Roman Empire Byzantine Empire Empire of Nicaea/Palaiologos Byzantium.

And we have to notice is that the fact is that modern greeks are more relative to Byzantine greeks than ancient greeks... And we can all understand that Byzantine empire withstood 1100 years around a barbaric world.... They treat others tough but think in what world they lived in.... Muslims, persians, slavs, huns, mongols, goths and other german tribes... pirates, vikings, revolts... And in all of that an empire thay have universities, justice system, tax system, a continuous coin from 350 AD to 1100AD... And sure a big downfall that we can compare it as the downfall of ancient greece when athenians were become so lazy before romans conquered greece thay they didnt fight... Byzantines suffered the same, they didnt make kids, people lost their unity, men became monks so didn't serve the army, economic collapse and forget about their past... As also happens today in modern greece and generally all the world... History repeats itself we have to learn from that so to make our future better... Also i wanted to mention, imagine a Hollywood movie about the conquer of Constantinople... 8.000 men vs more than 200.000 horde army... One king speaking inside the walls about faith, christianity and self sacrifice and the other about raping, butchering and looting for 3 days.... And the answet of palaiologos to moameth to surrender the city and he would give him wealth etc was... To give you the city it's not on my hands neither on its citizens, because all of us like a complete soul prefer to die with our will and do not pitty our lives.... And think about the ottomans after chain virgin girls in hagia sofia and raped them and butcher them... Its islam.. this was and it is.... This song speak about akritas digenis a nice byzantine novel that speak about an akritas loved a girl and died... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lqEF6noNj1s.html

@nikolas bellos Exactly both Alexander and Augustus were their ancestors, Greco-Roman.

well it was not really an empire at that point..just 1 city with a population of around 30k.....more like a village really

Rome started as a village and ended as a village

You fail to understand that being an Empire doesn’t mean a massive state that rules over many ethnicities. That is the modern definition and not the old one. Before the colonial age being an Empire was a political system, like being a democracy, a republic, a kingdom etc. To have an Empire you need to have an Imperator, an Emperor, meaning a person who in the name of the Res Publicas has all powers on him. Thus as they had one (Constantine Dragatses Palaeologos) they were an Empire.

@@paulmayson3129 you splitting hairs here.

Nah, you just don’t know that there is a difference between being an Imperium and being an Empire.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened :) And it's not even over, there are still descendants of Roman citizens and the Christian world is a heir to the Roman Empire. Rome's legacy lives on, so "Roma Aeterna" never ceases to be true.

@@iihhtt The true christian heir of Roman Empire is Poland. with >70% still attending weekly sunday service compared to ~15% Europe average.

@@iihhtt Dynastically speaking Greeks and Anatolian Turks are descendants from Eastern Roman times. Not to mention there were many royal marriages between between Turks and Eastern Romans.

@@ii121 Yeah! As a Turk I weep to see Mehmed's descendants not following his vision of establishing Roman Empire and instead going the fundamentalist religious path. Ah... The sorrow. I feel powerful just imagining the glory of Ottomans reforming Roman Empire.

@@iihhtt Lmao christianity my ass, that realigion was a primary reason among other things why the empire fell in first place.

Well, it's changing now somewhat.. Byzantines went from being a "footnote" in history, really, to being re-discovered by Western historians in the recent years. The thing is, much of what was written by historians in the past was either propaganda or misinformation, and modern historians have to work against many stereotypes connected with the Empire. Still, we're talking about just a few enthousiastic Western scholars here. Most of the common people don't even know about the Empire's existance. There is just not enough coverage about it in the media. Just think about how widely represented the Romans are in their ancient, republican and early imperial era, yet there is not a single movie about their medieval history. I doubt it will change anytime soon, though.

Really recommend the 12 byzantine empires podcast and the creators book "lost to the west" for people getting into byzantine history

@@wewuz9720 I would add "The History of Byzantium" podcast to the list, too.

You should see african armor the sahelian (Sudan mali northern nigeria/ghana Chad Niger Ethiopia and Somalia) armor its a mixture of middle easter and native methods of armormentation

I fuck with that avatar vitalis, great game

E.R.E:... Dem Catholics: *4TH CrUSadE..!.*

Actually the Comnene dynasty was one of the best in Byzantine history, at least Alexius, John (especially him, though not as famous as he should be) and the most part of Michael's reign). Sadly the Empire was already weakened before Alexius became emperor

tsopmocful we was Roman

crusaders were betrayed by the emperors this is why they sacked constantinople. He took them as mercenaries to place him into power and take away the previous empire and didn't have money to pay them. However, they did extreme barbarian things after that. The sacking was extreme. So extreme that the Pope punished many of them by excommunicating them from the Catholic church.

@Herdan 800 years later Greeks are among the westerners

Very true. When I said the army became more Native, Christian and loyal that includes the Armenians who had lived in Anatolia for hundreds of years... which by that point I would consider them native. Especially compared to earlier Roman armies that actively recruited from beyond their borders on a larger scale.

Epimetheus So did Georgians

The Armenians are also the first Christian nation.

@@huntclanhunt9697 pretty sure that was Ethiopia.

@@impsimp supposedly Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion

History Time I watch your vids keep up the good work

I love your videos!

You rock!

History time keep the exalent work with the estern Roman empire !!!!

@George Washington I don't know what it is, but something tells me you might not be the real George Washington. Just a hunch, I guess.

@Basil II of Macedon the Vardaskan slayer Why so butthurt, though? I don't get you Greeks. You get to be Greeks AND Roman at the same time, yet you deny it. Meh.

@Basil II of Macedon the Vardaskan slayer It wasn't the Roman Empire just in name, the citizens considered themselves Romans.

@Basil II of Macedon the Vardaskan slayer Non-Greeks were Romans under the Empire to. we have proof of numerous Ethic Bulgarian and Armenian Families being called Roman while under the Empire, The Empire was Greco-Roman and the fusion of Greek and Roman Culture with Roman Citizenship and Christian faith being the most important aspects of the people.

@Basil II of Macedon the Vardaskan slayer Wait, but the Romans saw the Greeks as conquered people. and therefore inferior to them. Romans did take Greek art and Architecture and the Nobility spoke both Latin and Greek, but they didn't like it. The fact that a conquered people (Greeks) were so unique in their culture that Romans would copy it, and they wanted the Latin culture to be the dominant one through out the empire. That is the point of an Empire, to spread your culture through warfare.

@Basil II of Macedon the Vardaskan slayer im not talking about modern day im talking abiut the non-Greek ethic groups of the empire that were considered Romans. If you served the Emperor in Constantinople, were a Christian and had a basic understanding of greek you were considered Roman. Zero difference between a Greek and Armenian Citizen of the Empire, Religion was far more important than ethnicity.

Very accurate

Hard times create strong men Strong men create good times Good times create weak men Weak men create hard times

Indeed so as History tends to repeat itself

From a backwater to a massive republic to a massive empire to a split empire to a smaller empire, then back to a massive empire, decline back into a smaller empire, then rising again as a large empire before finally declining and being rolled over by their neighbours and spending it's twilight as a backwater. 2200 years, complete circle for the Roman Empire.

Many Ups and Downs indeed

its not "underrated", it was combated deliberately by Anglo Saxon historians of 18th and 19th century, most notably but not restricted to the infamous Gibbon. Since the late 19th century the study of Eastern Rome had sparked from France and Greece and now is more popular. Never forget that it isnt just "underrated" but westerners deliberately wanted to bury it and failed

Sad, but hilarious

Medieval politics is ever changing and very complex in the case of the 4th Crusade the Crusaders ran out of cash so they borrowed cash from Venice resulting to their excommunication by the Pope and resulting in the sacking of Constantinople as the Crusaders became Venician muscle.

Also by the 4th Crusade the relation between the Orthodox and Catholic worlds have been degrading for a while.

With friends like these, who needs enemies.

Darkness vs Truth

Nigga you always comment, do you live in youtube?

@@dontsearchdocumentingreali9621 he's Justin Y's roommate

Last time I came this early, Constantinople was Byzantium.

Sorry...I'm a bit late...Oh, the empire's already fallen...Oh well, I may as well go back to bed then.

"Istanbul was Constantinople Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople Been a long time gone, Oh Constantinople Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night Every gal in Constantinople Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople So if you've a date in Constantinople She'll be waiting in Istanbul Even old New York was once New Amsterdam Why they changed it I can't say People just liked it better that way So, Take me back to Constantinople No, you can't go back to Constantinople Been a long time gone, Oh Constantinople Why did Constantinople get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Even old New York was once New Amsterdam Why they changed it I can't say People just liked it better that way Istanbul was Constantinople Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople Been a long time gone, Oh Constantinople Why did Constantinople get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks So, Take me back to Constantinople No, you can't go back to Constantinople Been a long time gone, Oh Constantinople Why did Constantinople get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks Istanbul"

May Allah the Victory Giver never let the disbelieving people smell the fragrance of ISTANBUL! May Allah bless the mujahideen who conquered that city and made it the jewel of the entire world! May Allah give the Taqwa and Tawfiq to the Muslimeen so we can strive in the way of the pious predecessors!

@@retvrntotradition4454 Nobody asked for your shit and here you are trying to start a petty fight

@@retvrntotradition4454 ALLAH IS BASTARD,ALLAH IS GAY. FUCK ALLAH

@@retvrntotradition4454 what are you trying to do is pretty sad

Osmanlı Devleti Fuck off with your terrorist Allah and pedofile “prophet”.

@Basil II of Macedon the Vardaskan slayer you damn right brother!

May Allah bless the Ottoman Caliphate and bring Yunanistan under it's rule once again!

Tagma and tagmata

@@GeoBBB123 Sure, same with that one.

Fun fact the Byzantine military was mostly Armenian. Even the elite imperial guards, the Scholae Palatinae were mostly Armenians! : )

Thanks, Phil! The Byzantines would be an awesome army to paint. I did paint some byzantine banners that I had on my imperium/guard army in 40k army...but maybe one day will make a proper Byzantine army.

@@EpimetheusHistory Got a few Byzantine units, love them but not often played, so many armies and so little time!

I tend to nervously check the podcast's website at the end of every week, as the new episodes are published around that time, yet there was no update today, sadly. :P

Do you have a link by chance?

I had trouble following after the 347th episode about Belisarius

If you want roman repuplic to roman empire check mike d7ncans podcast

@@Artur_M. sorry, but thanks! Edit: holy crap, this thing has more episodes than a star trek podcast

I would argue with the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo, but then again being French that may seem logical :p Yet yes, I think internationally the fall of the Romans is felt by many as a terrible historical moment. But which day should we remember, the fatal wound (pillage by crusaders and Venitians) or the coup de grace (1453) ?

@@Cancoillotteman I think that Fourth Crusade would have to be remembered more than the 1453. The latter was just nail to the coffin, why should we mourn already half dead body?

@@Cancoillotteman I think that there was no Byzantine Empire after 1204. Just a medieval Greek state. the 1261-1453 state is not an empire it is just a medieval state with huge problems, economic problems, declining population, military problems etc However the empire was gradually declining before 1204 because of its own political issues, it just lost a lot of money, geography, and political and other powers by that.

on the bright side the wealth and educated populace that fled Constantinople helped spark the Renaissance in western Europe and in cities such as Venice especially.

@@keeganmoonshine7183 The Rennaissance had already started with the study of the Latin texts, but the Greeks such Gemistus Pletho, Manuel Chrisoloras, Bessarion, and Leo Allatius and many others gave a great boost and played a significant role in the Rennaissance. In the first part in the Rennaissance Western Europe studied the Romans and some Greeks. Then they started to translate some other Greek texts from Arabs who had found the texts when they conquered Egypt etc, and the Western Europeans found some other Greek texts around. But many other works they didn't have around and they didnt have from the Arabs, but the Byzantines were studying them and brought and taught them to Western Europeans when they started moving to Western Europe in the final years 1350-1450 and especially after 1453. Many Byzantine Greek scholars went to Italy. Where would they stay? In Ottoman Empire??!! That would be a joke.

Well Egypt survived longer, but you have to see if it is to be considered as a kingdom or an Empire, both can apply.

They forbad Jews from teaching their children - as per Dr E Michael Jones

@@JamesMartinelli-jr9mh lol khazar jewish empire was allied with Byzantium

Zacharie Guillerey Egypt got raped by Assyria, Persia, Macedon, Rome, Arabs and Britain.

You cant count fall of byzantium as fall of roman empire as they changed. Think of it like this, is mughal empire timurid empire just bc it came from timurid empire? Nope its not. The land was just inherited from timurids after they fell. Same with byzantium. They werent romans anymore thye were bynzantine and byzantine only survived for 700 years.

yeah, too bad that varangian guard is not even mentioned lol

Literally powerpoint 2013

@@xstrawarot This is Powerpoint ??????

"To surrender the city to you is beyond my authority or anyone else's who lives in it, for all of us, after taking the mutual decision, shall die of our own free will without trying to save our lives." - Emperor Constantine XI to Mehmed II before the fall of Constantinople.

@@Strideo1 "so die you all shall" Turkish dude to Emperor Constantine XI

@@ilijas3041 actually sultan let them live in peace and pray freely.

Orthodox was more ancient and stronger than the catholic, even in Ottoman rule. West made it weak, they didn't want any strong Christian leadership under the control of Turks. Even tho it wasnt under the Turkish control completely.

@@Krankenstein If thats what you have seen in one of your visions I believe you. I really do :*

No no, make a ten part series on the babenberg empire. And then thirty vids on the annexation of bosnia. And then another twenty vids on Franz-Joseph II.'s mustache.

Never heard of Bulgarians.

*2 empires and 1 kingdom

It is the continuation of Roman after all. later day Roman.

Amazing army that lost countless of battles...

And won countless more

It is greece

Fun fact the Byzantine military was mostly Armenian. Even the elite imperial guards, the Scholae Palatinae were mostly Armenians! : )

@@tigranispiryan4865 Hm, I think that is somewhat of an oversimplification. The Byzantine Empire existed for a millenium, and in that time gained and lost control of Armenia multiple times, at times even going to war with it. Yes, Armenians periodically made up significant parts of the Byzantine army, but the Byzantines also employed huge numbers of domestic levies as well as mercenaries from all over Europe and Asia, including Normans, Italians, Pechenegs and Kipchaks, large numbers of Norsemen, Turcopoles and Turcomans, various Slavs from the Balkans, Kievan Rus warriors, and even Arabs. So it really depends on the time period and size of the army whether you can legitimately claim that the Byzantine Army was "mostly" made up of Armenians. At the battle of Yarmouk, for instance, the overall Byzantine commander was the Armenian Vahan, but even then only a quarter of the army was made up of Armenians - and that was probably because Vahan was in command. The rest of the army was made up of Byzantine, Slav and Ghassanid troops.

Nice quote ! I really like this armor set but it breaks fast.

Egypt is amused

@@Cancoillotteman Egypt was conquered by foreign powers several times.Roman state was not.Until 15th century.

Much more than thousand years if you count really all of its history which starts long prior what was artificially marked as "Byzantine".

@@paprskomet If you interrupt for each invasion you have to start counting after Marius Furius, and the Celtic Invasion. But even so I don't know if the second Dinasty of Egypt did not last longer, I have to check

@@Cancoillotteman Difference is that while Egyptian state was repeatedly completely conquered and ruled by foreign dynasties,state of the Romans was completely conquered by foreign power for the 1st time only in 15th century.

he did it, check his playlist.

@@leeboy2k1 not about their armies and tactics

Yea boii! Cathaphracts were the thing

Thumbs up to this

They just copied the Iranian cataphracts

@@CirosKhan You mean from when they met them at Thermopolai?

@@karenbartlett1307 No. when they burnt down Athens

Great quote! Thanks Iwan

@@EpimetheusHistory My pleasure Epimetheus 🙂

Good suggestion

Yes please !

Lol, you do realise that the subsequent monarchies fought over who claimed to be the Holy Roman Empire? modern day banking/corporate elites are the modern day Romans (third Rome) look at all of the architecture they erected during and after the enlightenment period/industrial revolution, Roman/Greco/Egyptian edifices everywhere.

@King Wiwuz IV It depends on by who's definition, however the then pope of byzantium said "there will be three empires and no more" Our modern day freemasonic elite see themselves as modern day Caesar's living by the Lucifarian doctrine (Adonai-men as god on earth) they claim to have received powerful knowledge (magik) from the Pharisees, they deny Christ, and are trying to bring about Old testament prophecy by building the third Temple in Jerusalem.

@King Wiwuz IV Ah the post-modernist language slur tactic we see ad-nauseum. You really should avoid using such played out terms should you wish to be taken seriously, I at least have presented a framework of what I have learned without resorting to weak attacks.

@King Wiwuz IV Moreover, if you do get round to researching Maimonides, you will find he has ancestors in powerful positions of British media for example.

@King Wiwuz IV Have you suddenly lost cognitive function? using cliche slur terms instead of just agree/disagreeing was all that was necessary.

Thank you :)

Nah it was the greatest empire that ever existed.

It was the same Empire

Byzantine empire was quite a long epilogue though.

Vital in preserving Classical learning, and instrumental in both the 12th and 15th century Renaissances of Western Europe. The Carolingian Renaissance was more indebted to the Irish, and their English pupils, however.

Even the Turks called them as Roman (Rum). Still anyone of Greek origin from Anatolia (and Cyprus) is called as Rum (And they call the Greeks in Greece as Ionians "Yunan")

they can reproduce something that acts like the historic descriptions. The issue is that they are not certain of exactly how they made it because it was a state secret. Modern historians want to see records, words on paper, to claim they know how it is made.

oil. pretty simply. not rocket science really

@@aokiaoki4238 "Byzantines as true empire took it in their grave." lol what? oh i guess you mean *to* their grave. please learn some english before you attempt this as you are comical. "took it *in* their grave" implies they really took it in :). Given the greeks virtually invented homosexualism and buggery I can see the association :) But anyway they were pumping oil out which was lit. nothing special. and no they didn't intend to take it - just they ran out of oil that was available above ground and they had no way to pump it out.

@@aokiaoki4238 Macedonia is macedonia.

@@zarni000 it wasnt oil, oil doesnt set itself on fire when in contact with water...

its because the fall of the western roman empire made the first kingdoms of the west tribes and became the founds for the later states like spanish french english german etc...the eastern roman empire especially after the loss of the middle eastern lands and egypt remained in its mijority with greek and greek spoken populations.. that why in the 6th century changed the official language from latin to greek.. so during the ages there was greek-roman mixture and the east roman empire made the middle ages history of greeks. thats why they give importance in this.. also it was for many years the main defence against anatolians... persians arabs and later turks..

go back to stepes

@@user-rr9ng9bo9l If we want we conquered our land and payed for it with our blood!BTW your name is writen with the alphabet(script) wich we made so,if you dont like us stop using it.

idil Bulgars were Turkic tribe. Almis Khan became Muslim at 910s.

@@tunguznayman3924 Idel bulgars came from ogb(Old Great Bulgaria) just like us so...Don't try to educate me on my own history ok!?!

@@tunguznayman3924 Khan Kubrat had 5 sons-one of them went to Volga(Idel).That was Kotrag. Another one went to the Danube and that was Asparukh the founder of my country.BTW our best heavyweight boxer Kubrat Pulev is fighting tomorrow so here is an example that we still name our children with names similar to our ancestors

Thanks! :)

so?everyone bears some greek or other dna...

@ Greek virgin: and the Greeks of modern day Greece have Turk and Slav DNA. So what is your point? It takes more than DNA for being a member of a nation. Language, culture and sharing the similar ideals are the most important elements of nations and peoples. This whole DNA argument is quite meaningless.

Why don’t u go and check yr Dna first? 400millions Turks around world. Kazak, uzbek, uyghurs, kirgiz, turkmans,azeribajians... Greece 10mil and Turks have greek dna..🤔

Only on the western and northern coasts. There were a lot of other peoples in Anatolia. The mainland of Anatolia was never fully hellenized (except Cappadocia). The eastern-northern part was Armenian. And there were other peoples as well.

@@innosanto False by 1000AD all of Anatolia spoke Greek or Armenian, Even the settled Bulgarian and Arab populations were assimilated into the Hellenic culture. Also for all intents and purposes their isn't that much differences genetically between Greeks and Turks. Greeks by this point are as Anatolian as the Turks. The Byzantines resettled Greece with Hellenic Anatolians multiple times then you have the more recent population exchange.

Wait, Vikings are Slavs?! What?

@@thedoruk6324 By Viking-Slavs he simply ment the Rus. Even according to the Normanist theory, they were just a drop in the sea of East Slavs. So likely the Slavic speakers would be surely present at their raids, that's just inevitable. Besides, many Viking raids were conducted by various ethnicities - be it Norse/Germanic and Osselian/Estonian groups, Poles being present during Canute's conquest of England, the famous Jomsborg had a mixed Norse-Slavic garrison, not to mention many groups of Slavic pirates, including Rugians, Pommeranians, etc. etc.

@@Vitalis94 Alright. Thanks, for the explaination.

@Mr Seboss u search are not good :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27%E2%80%93Byzantine_War_(941) . "Then, at an instant, the Greek-fire was hurled through tubes upon the Rus' and their allies; Liudprand of Cremona wrote: "The Rus', seeing the flames, jumped overboard, preferring water to fire" one. "Michael Psellus, an eyewitness of the battle, left a hyperbolic account detailing how the invading Kievan Rus' were annihilated by a superior Imperial fleet with Greek fire off the Anatolian shore." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27%E2%80%93Byzantine_War_(1043) two another time in raid about year 860 fleet has fought with arabs so they coudnt help, its only documented history how many real attempts was we do not know.

what wrong with u guys?) didnt u know that the vikings in 9 century establish a big state of Kievan Rus? so their army included both northman and slavs

Yeah I'm told the Turks really don't care about Byzantine history.

Because he covered almost 1000 years in ten minutes, and mentioned Scandinavian mercenaries.

Fun fact the Byzantine military was mostly Armenian. Even the elite imperial guards, the Scholae Palatinae were mostly Armenians! : )

Nope sent to him by the Kievan Rus to help him in the civil war.