Title: Some thoughts on the military capabilities of Alexios I Komnenos: battles of Dyrrachion (1081) and Dristra (1087)
Source document: Graeco-Latina Brunensia. 2019, vol. 24, iss. 2, pp. 143-161
Extent
143-161
-
ISSN1803-7402 (print)2336-4424 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/GLB2019-2-10
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/141759
Type: Article
Language
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 International
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
Alexios I Komnenos belongs to the most important emperors of the Byzantine history. Yet, in many respects, this period still remains an underdeveloped field of study. This paper attempts to review one of the aspects of his reign, namely his capabilities as a military commander since he owed much of his success in restoring the fortunes of Byzantium to his strong military background. In order to succeed in the final evaluation, most of the relevant military events during Alexios Komnenos' life and career in which he took personal part will be briefly reviewed and taken into consideration. Particular cases where Alexios Komnenos was allegedly responsible for a serious military defeat will be discussed in more detail (e.g. battle of Dyrrachion in 1081 and battle of Dristra in 1087) in order to assess whether it was solely Alexios Komnenos' responsibility, or whether the causes of defeat were not result of his faulty decision-making as a military commander.
References
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[48] Soustal, P. (1999). Thrakien (Thrakē, Rhodopē und Haimimontos). Tabula imperii byzantini, Band 6. Vienna.
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[50] Tobias, N. (1979). The Tactics and Strategy of Alexius Comnenus at Calavrytae, 1078. Byzantine Studies, 6, 193–211.
[51] Treatgold, W. T. (1995). Byzantium and its Army 284–1081. Stanford: University Press.
[52] Βαρζός, Κ. (1984). Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών. Βυζαντινά κείμενα και μελέται 20a. Τόμος Α΄. Thessalonica.
[2] Bekker, I. (Ed.) (1853). Michaelis Attaliotæ Historia. Corpus scriptorum historiæ byzantinæ. Bonnæ.
[3] Cross, S. H. – Sherbowitz-Wetzor, O. P. (Eds.) (1953). The Russian Primary Chronicle: Laurentian Text. Cambridge MA.
[4] Gautier, P. (Ed.) (1975). Hylé historias, Nicephori Bryenii Historiarum libri quattuor, Corpus fontium historiæ byzantinæ. Brussels.
[5] Domanovszky, A. (1937). Chronici hungarici compositio sæculi XIV. In Szentpétery, I. (Ed.) Scriptores rerum hungaricarum, Vol. I. Budapest.
[6] Chibnall, M. (Ed.) (1983). The ecclesiastical history of Orderic Vitalis. Volume II: Books III and IV. Oxford.
[7] Mathieu, M. – Grégoire, H. (Eds.) (1961). La geste de Robert Guiscard. Palermo.
[8] Muratori, L. A. (Ed.) (1724). De rebus gestis Rogerii Calabriae et Siciliae comitis et Roberti Guiscardi ducis fratris eius. Rerum italicarum scriptores V (pp. 549–602). Milan.
[9] Pinder, M. (Ed.) (1897). Ioannis Zonaræ Epitome Historiarum. Corpus scriptorum historiæ byzantinæ. Tomus III. Bonnæ.
[10] Reinsch, D. R. – Kambylis, A. (Eds.) (2001). Annæ Comnenæ Alexias. Corpus fontium historiæ byzantinæ. Berlin.
[11] Tsoungarakis, F. (Ed.) (1996). Στρατηγικόν. Κείμενα βυζαντινής ιστοριογραφίας – 2. Athens.
[12] Alexopoulos, Th. (2008–2012). Using Ancient Military Handbooks to fight Medieval Battles: two Stratagems used by Alexios I Comnenos against the Normans and the Pechenegs. Ἑῶα καὶ ἑσπερία, 8, 47–71.
[13] Angold, M. (1997). The Byzantine Empire, 1025 – 1204: a political history. London – New York.
[14] Birkenmeier, J. W. (2002). The Development of the Comnenian Army 1081 – 1180. Leiden – Boston – Köln: Brill.
[15] Blöndal, S. (1978). The Varangians of Byzantium. An aspect of byzantine military history. Translated, revised and rewritten by Benedikt S. Benedikz. Cambridge – Londýn – New York: Cambridge University Press.
[16] Buckler, G. (1968). Anna Comnena, a Study. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
[17] Bünemann, R (1997). Robert Guiscard 1015–1085. Ein Normanne erobert Süditalien. Köln-WeimarWien.
[18] Dawson, T. – McBride, A. (2007). Byzantine Infantryman Eastern Roman Empire c. 900–1204. London: Osprey Publishing.
[19] D'Amato, R. – Rava, G. (2010). The Varangian Guard 988–1453. London: Osprey Publishing.
[20] Diaconu, P. (1970). Les Petchénègues au Bas-Danube. Bucharest.
[21] Ducellier, A. (1981). La façade maritime de l'Albanie au Moyen âge. Durazzo et Valona du XIe au XVe siècle. Thessalonica.
[22] Eads, V. (2005). Sichelgaita of Salerno: Amazon or Trophy Wife? The Journal of Medieval Military History, 3, 72–87.
[23] Frankopan, P. (2007). Kinship and the Distribution of Power in Komnenian Byzantium. English Historical Review, 122, 1–34. | DOI 10.1093/ehr/cel378
[24] Frankopan, P. (2012). The First Crusade. The Call from the East. Cambridge MA.
[25] Γλαβινάς, Α. Α. (1984). Οι Νορμανδοί στη Θεσσαλία και η πολιορκία της Λάρισας (1082 – 1083). Βυζαντιακά, 4, 33–45.
[26] Haldon, J. (2001). The Byzantine Wars. Stroud.
[27] Haldon, J. (2002). Byzantium at War AD 600–1453. London: Osprey Publishing.
[28] Hunger, H. (1978). Die hochsprachliche Profanliteratur der Byzantiner. Zweiter Band. Munich.
[29] Chalandon, F. (1900). Essai sur le règne d' Alexis Ier Comnène (1081–1118). Paris.
[30] Chalandon, F. (1907). Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicile. Tome I. Paris.
[31] Cheynet, J.-C. (1995). Les effectifs de l'armée byzantine au Xe – XIIe s. Cahiers de la civilisation médiévale, 38, 319–335.
[32] Cheynet, J.-C. (1996). Pouvoirs et contestations à Byzance (963–1210). Byzantina Sorbonensia 9. Paris.
[33] Cheynet, J.-C. (2006). The Byzantine Aristocracy (8th – 13th centuries). In Cheynet, J.-C., The Byzantine Aristocracy and its Military Function (pp. 1–43). Aldershot: Variorum.
[34] Йотов, Й. – Николов, Н. (2009). Походъ на Алексий I Комнин към Дръстър (1087 г.). Нови данни и интерпретация. In Пътуванията в средневековна България. Материали от първата национална конференция "Пътуване към България, пътуванията в средневековна България и съвременният туризъм" Шумен, 8.–11. 5. 2008 г. (pp. 432–447). Veliko Tărnovo.
[35] Kolias, G. T. (1997). Η πολεμική τακτική των Βυζαντινών: θεωρία και πράξη. In Oikonomides, N. (Ed.), Το εμπόλεμο Βυζάντιο (9ος – 12ος αι.) (pp. 153–164). Athens.
[36] Kovács, S. (2014). The Cuman Campaigns in 1091. Golden Horde Review, 1(3), 174–189.
[37] Kühn, H.-J. (1991). Die byzantinische Armee im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert. Studien zur Organisation der Tagmata. Wien.
[38] Meško, M. (2007). Boje Byzancie s Pečenehmi o Trákiu v rokoch 1088 až 1091. Vojenská História, 11–1, 3–27.
[39] Meško, M. (2011). Pečenežsko-byzantské dobrodružstvo uhorského kráľa Šalamúna (1083 – 1087). Konštantínove listy, 4, 77–94.
[40] Meško, M. (2012). Obnova byzantskej moci na Balkáne za vlády Alexia I. Komnéna. Druhá byzantsko-pečenežská vojna (1083–1091). Nitra.
[41] Meško, M. (2013). Pecheneg Groups in the Balkans (ca. 1053–1091) according to the Byzantine Sources. In F. Curta - B.-P. Maleon (Eds.), The Steppe Lands and the World beyond them. Studies in Honor of Victor Spinei on his 70th Birthday (pp. 179–205). Iaşi.
[42] Mullett, M. – Smythe, D. (1996). Alexius Komnenos Papers of the Second Belfast Byzantine International Colloquium, 14–16 April 1989. Belfast.
[43] Mullett, M. (1996). Introduction: Alexios the enigma. In M. Mullett – D. Smythe (Eds.), Alexius Komnenos Papers of the Second Belfast Byzantine International Colloquium, 14–16 April 1989 (pp. 1–11). Belfast.
[44] Price, J. T. (2005). An Analysis of the Strategy and Tactics of Alexios I Komnenos, M. A. Thesis. Lubbock.
[45] Savvides, A. (2007). Byzantino-Normannica. The Norman Capture of Italy (to A.D. 1081) and the First Two Invasions in Byzantium (A.D. 1081–1085 and 1107–1108). Leuven-Paris-Dudley.
[46] Shepard, J. (1993). The Uses of the Franks in Eleventh-Century Byzantium. Anglo-Norman Studies, 15, 275–305.
[47] Skoulatos, B. (1990). Les personnages byzantins de l'Alexiade, analyse prosopographique de synthèse. Louvain.
[48] Soustal, P. (1999). Thrakien (Thrakē, Rhodopē und Haimimontos). Tabula imperii byzantini, Band 6. Vienna.
[49] Theotokis, G. (2014). The Norman Campaigns in the Balkans 1081–1108. Woodbridge.
[50] Tobias, N. (1979). The Tactics and Strategy of Alexius Comnenus at Calavrytae, 1078. Byzantine Studies, 6, 193–211.
[51] Treatgold, W. T. (1995). Byzantium and its Army 284–1081. Stanford: University Press.
[52] Βαρζός, Κ. (1984). Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών. Βυζαντινά κείμενα και μελέται 20a. Τόμος Α΄. Thessalonica.