Byzantine Military Tactics in Syria and Mesopotamia in the Tenth Century - by Georgios Theotokis (Paperback)

About the Book

This book examines the strategies and military tactics of the Byzantines and their enemies in Eastern Anatolia, Syria and in Upper Mesopotamia in the tenth century.

Book Synopsis

This book examines the strategies and military tactics of the Byzantines and their enemies in Eastern Anatolia, Syria and in Upper Mesopotamia in the tenth century. This period of conflict is difficult to define: it was too inactive to be called a 'war' but too active to be called a 'cold war'. Nevertheless, it was a 'war', even if it lacked the numerous pitched battles or protracted sieges that defined other periods or other operational theatres of war. This study examines the way the Byzantines innovated and adapted their strategies and tactics to those of their enemies in the East, giving a rich picture of tenth-century Byzantine warfare.

From the Back Cover

'An excellent look at the very important conflict between the Byzantines and the Arabs' Kelly DeVries, Professor of History, Loyola University Maryland The first comprehensive history of Byzantine warfare in the tenth century This book examines the strategies and military tactics of the Byzantines and their enemies in Eastern Anatolia, Syria and in Upper Mesopotamia in the tenth century. The period of conflict is difficult to define. It was too inactive to be called a 'war' but too active to be called a 'cold war'. Nevertheless, it was a 'war', even if it lacked the numerous pitched battles or protracted sieges that defined other periods or other operational theatres of war. This study examines the way the Byzantines innovated and adapted their strategies and tactics to those of their enemies in the East, giving a rich picture of tenth-century Byzantine warfare. Key Features - Examines the major and most important pitched battles of this period and the Byzantine and Arab military manuals which show how armies were organised and deployed in the battlefield - Looks at how the Byzantines adapted their strategies and tactics to those of their enemies in the tenth-century Anatolia, Syria and Mesopotamia - Shows the transmission of military knowledge through the ages by comparing the military treatises of the tenth century with those from the Roman and Ancient Greek periods Georgios Theotokis is Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Byzantine Studies Research Centre, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul. He is the author of Norman Campaigns in the Balkans 1081-1108 (2014) and editor of Military History of the Mediterranean Sea (2018). Cover image: 11th Century Fresco of Saints Theodore and George slaying the dragon (or snake as depicted in the frescoe), St Onuphrius Church (Yılanlı Kilise - Snake Church). Goreme Open air Museum, Cappadocia, Turkey Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-3103-3 Barcode Cover image: 11th Century Fresco of Saints Theodore and George slaying the dragon (or snake as depicted in the frescoe), St Onuphrius Church (Yılanlı Kilise - Snake Church). Goreme Open air Museum, Cappadocia, Turkey Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-3103-3 Barcode

Review Quotes

An excellent look at the very important conflict between the Byzantines and the Arabs-- "Dr. Kelly DeVries, Professor of History, Loyola University Maryland"

About the Author

Georgios Theotokis is Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Byzantine Studies Research Centre, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul. He is the author of Norman Campaigns in the Balkans 1081-1108 (2014) and editor of Military History of the Mediterranean Sea (2018).