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University of Pennsylvania Press

Maurice's Strategikon: Handbook of Byzantine Military Strategy (The Middle Ages Series)

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Pennsylvania Press (January 3, 2001)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812217721


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 28


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.48 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #57,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #58 in Ancient Roman History (Books) #104 in Military Strategy History (Books) #598 in European History (Books)


#58 in Ancient Roman History (Books):


#104 in Military Strategy History (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • So, you wanna be a Byzantine General?
One does not normally expect to unearth a how-to manual from the ruins of a vanished empire, and yet here it is: Commanding Ancient Armies for Dummies! Clearly written by a committee of some sort, this book pretty much cuts to the chase. Congratulations, you're a General, NOW what? Better get weapons and clothing for your guys... who's gonna do it? What's the quality stuff? Uh oh... better start training your men: what do they need to know? How are you going organize them? Who are you gonna put in charge of what? When are they ready? Maybe you can train them on the march? Oh wait, how do you manage a march? What do you need to bring? How are you gonna carry it? How do you set up camp? Don't water the horses upstream: they'll muddy your men's water. Uh oh... enemy territory: time to change the routine! The book has all sorts of invaluable, practical tips that simply wouldn't occur to most people. Don't make all your companies the same size... you don't want the enemy estimating your force by simply counting flags! Speaking of flags, how do you keep everyone from getting confused during the battle? What cues are they likely to notice in all the confusion? Oh yes, and another thing... never just say "CHARGE": half your guys will go, the other half will hesitate. Speaking of which, put a backup line behind your fighting line to keep the cowards from turning back! Oh wait, what if you lose? Better prepare Plan B before you engage. Where will you put demoralized guys? Put the impressive, good-looking ones up front: they are what the enemy sees! There is so much to do, so much to know, and so many ways to invite disaster that it quickly becomes apparent why it took a lifetime to become a general and why so many strong, intelligent people failed the task. There are numerous other remarkable things about this document. It is a freeze-frame of the technology and culture of a period from which very little is known, a generation after Justinian's reconquests and before the world-changing onslaught of Islam. The Byzantine Empire stood at the confluence of Europe and Asia, and in the fascinating final chapters the book elucidates tactics against the stunning variety of foes they faced: the Mongol-like "Scythians", a servile Persia before Islam, Teutonic barbarians, and the already Balkanizing Slavs. It also quickly strikes you how thoroughly Byzantine (rather than Roman) the empire had already become so early in its history. Pessimism and cynicism soak these pages: there's no sense of anything really motivating soldiers beyond survival, self-interest, and an occasional rousing speech. You see these latter-day "Romans" trying to outsmart their complete lack of moral conviction with a distinctively Byzantine brand of deception, backstabbing and evasion. Indeed, it's rather amusing hear the authors lambast Scythians as "devious scoundrels" after unleashing such a relentless barrage of their own underhanded ruthlessness! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2014 by Sight Reader
    • A Key Primary Source for the 6th Century Byzantine Army
Byzantine literature can be a funny thing! They often write as if they were still living in Ancient Greece. Their writing is full of anachronisms, vague rhetoric and obscurity. However, this will simply not do for the army - precision and clarity are essential as it is literally life or death. This brings us to the 'Strategikon'. It is a key text in understanding the Byzantine army. They were light years ahead of the barbarian armies around them in terms of sophistication. This text is full of vivid details of how a well organised army should operate - obviously based on experience. There is even an interesting 'ethnological' section on the various enemies of the Byzantines that discusses their strengths and weaknesses. What more could anyone interested in military history want? ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017 by Stefano Nikolaou
    • What a weird little gem of a book
Some ancient commander from 600AD sitting down and giving you the nuts and bolts of running an Imperial army confronted by barbarians on every front. It's so prosaic and common sensical - put your biggest best-equipped guys up front to intimidate your enemies, make sure the horses drink downstream so they don't muddy the drinking water, make sure your units are different sizes so the bad guys can't just count standards and know how many men you have. A real blast from the distant past. It's organized into small bite-sized sections and a quick read. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2016 by Charles S. Allen
    • Outstanding resource on Late Roman/Byzantine strategy
This is a beautifully produced translation of the Strategikon, a military manual attributed to the eastern Roman emperor Maurice and thought to have been written sometime between A.D. 580 and 600. Packed full of the accumulated wisdom of a thousand years of Hellenistic and Roman experience in warfare, the Strategikon was meant to be a primer for the novice general--roughly the Western equivalent to Sun Tzu's "Art of War." Simply put, the Strategicon is a gold mine of historical data on the Roman army of the late 6th century. It is of particular interest because this period marks a time when Roman power had made its last vain attempt to regain authority over the Western provinces of the Empire, and was now undergoing a period of contraction and collapse. The Strategikon describes an army whose core is no longer the heavy infantry of the early Roman Principate, but armored cavalry lancers and archers. It is a time when Greek was fast becoming the predominant language in Roman society as a whole, while vestiges of Latin remained in the jargon of the army. The legion of old was replaced by the meros, the centurion by the hekatontarch. The Strategikon records many aspects of the Roman army life at this time, including: induction of new recruits, description of ranks and responsibilities, formation of units, drills, rules, punishments, instructions on marching through enemy territory, foraging for food, and the set-up of fortified camps. It is rich in advice for the prospective general when battling against the various enemies of the Empire, from the Persians, to the Slavs, to the Avars and Goths. Perhaps most interesting of all, it contains several detailed diagrams for the order of battle of a Late Roman/Early Byzantine army of various sizes and configurations. It also gives a great deal of advice on how to defeat the enemy via guile, deception, misinformation, ambush, concealed traps, etc. All in all, the Strategikon is a source that can not be neglected for the scholar of the Late Roman or Byzantine army. The University of Pennsylvania Press is to be congratulated for making the work available in such an accessible and attractively-produced volume. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2005 by Florentius
    • Noteworthy
Interesting read and love taking notes with it
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2020 by shauna
    • Great addition to my collection!
A very interesting read, I'm so glad this has a decent translation from Greek. Contains many diagrams and good advice.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2021 by Amazon Customer

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