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This book studies the Sylloge Tacticorum, an important tenth-century Byzantine military manual. The text is used as a case study to connect military manuals with the challenges that Byzantium faced in its wars with the Arabs, but also with other aspects of Byzantine society such as education, politics, and conventions in the productions of literary texts and historical narratives.
The book explores when the Sylloge was written and by whom. It identifies which passages from classical or earlier works were incorporated in the Sylloge and explains the reason why Byzantines imitated works of the past. The book then studies the extent to which the Sylloge was original and how innovation and originality were received in Byzantine society. Despite the imitation, the author of the Sylloge adapted and updated his material to reflect the current operational needs as well as the ideological, cultural and religious context of his time. Finally, the book attempts to estimate the extent to which Byzantine generals followed the advice of military manuals, and to explore whether historical narratives can be safely used to draw information as to how the Byzantines and the Arabs fought.
Therefore, along with a detailed study of the Sylloge Tacticorum, this monograph also addresses broader issues of the pen and the sword such as military manuals in connection with Byzantine warfare, politics, literature, historiography and education.
List of contents
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
The Context of the Sylloge Tacticorum: Byzantine Warfare c. 900-950
The Sources of the Sylloge Tacticorum
The Dating of the Sylloge Tacticorum
The Authorship, Attribution and Redaction of the Sylloge Tacticorum
Tradition and Originality in the Sylloge Tacticorum and its Place in Byzantine Warfare
The Sylloge Tacticorum and its Practical Use
The Sylloge Tacticorum after the Sylloge Tacticorum
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Georgios Chatzelis received his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2017. He has taught at Royal Holloway, University of London as Visiting Teacher. He has delivered guest lectures, papers and communications at international and national conferences, and together with Jonathan Harris he has published an English translation of the Sylloge Tacticorum, entitled A Tenth-Century Byzantine Military Manual: The Sylloge Tacticorum.
Summary
Along with a detailed study of the Sylloge Tacticorum, this monograph addresses broader issues of the pen and the sword such as military manuals in connection with Byzantine warfare and politics.
