The Development of the Komnenian Army, 1081-1180 (History of Warfare)

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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

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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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134

CHAPTER FIVE

the actions of a man panicked, stunned, and incapable of rational action. It is in this light that we should see Manuel's characterization of Myriokephalon as a second Manzikert. At .Manzikert, Romanos IV had a poorly trained army filled with unreliable Norman mercenaries, Amlenian levies, and Uze Turks who deserted to the enemy. Andronikos Doubs, commander of the reserve, treacherously betrayed the emperor at a critical moment. Romanos' army panicked. At Myriokephalon, Manuel possessed a seasoned force that had been repeatedly victorious. It was filled with men the emperor could rely upon. This included both individual soldiers and Manuel's experienced sub-commanders. There were no desertions. Unlike Manzikert, Manuel's army was organized into self-sufficient military units. The imperial units at Myriokephalon fought well. The battle resulted in no wholesale collapse of a frontier. Although defeated, the Byzantine army was not destroyed, but appears within a year inflicting a defeat upon a force of "picked Turks."57 Our analysis of the Komnenian tactical system will conclude with the battle on the Maiander River that Vatatzes fought against the elite troops of the Atabeg. The army that Vatatzes took with him was composed of "forces provided by the emperor together with those they collected along the way,"511 probably the "eastern divisions" that Choniates mentions at Myriokephalon and later in Manuel's last ~:ampaign against the Turks. 59 Vatatzes prepared an ambush at a bndge. on t!le Ma~ander River. Half his force was positioned on the fiu· SIde of the bndge; the other half in the hills around the road the Turks would have to travel. The Turks laden with booty moved toward the bridge and were pelted by ~issiles from abo;e. The Atabeg attempted to break out of the trap with his heavy armed e~vahy, but the Turkish force was strung out on both sides of the nver, an~! the Byzantines simultaneously attacked both halves of his armv. thea At b eg fl e d wIt . hI· -I After a brief' intense strug·g·le, 11S persona trool)S -md trI·ecl t I· . . , 0 cross t le nver up-stream. Choniates InentHlIlS that one of the ByzantI·ne's Al 11·· 1Get ·11 d h e A bwIth ' an ales ta· eg a two-edged sword. Like other Byzantine battles against the Turks, 0