DBA Armies

IV/50 PALAIOLOGAN BYZANTINE 1261 AD - 1384 AD

This list starts with Mikhail VIII Palaiologos’ reorganisation of the Byzantine army following the Nikaian recapture of Constantinople in 1261 and ends with the defeat at Chortiates in 1384 of the last Byzantine field army outside the Morea. It does not cover the sieges ending with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453. Most cavalry were stratiotai holding “pronoia” grants, who rode small horses, wore moderate armour and carried lance, sword or mace with either a long triangular shield or a small round one. About a I/5 were instead called kavallarioi or kataphraktoi, added the prefix “Syr” to their names, rode destriers, were more heavily armoured and are assumed to be the descendants of Frankish knights. Infantry were now mostly light archers. References: Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1. Heath, Armies of the Middle Ages Vol 2 1. Heath, The Late Byzantine Army M.C. Bartusis.

IV/50 — Palaiologan Byzantine Army 1261 AD - 1384 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 1 x Varangian (4Bd) or Catalan (4Ax) or vardariotai (LH) guards, 1 x kavallarioi (3Kn), 3 x stratiotai (Cv), 2 x tourkopouloi or Cuman horse archers (LH) or peasants or town militia (Ps or 7Hd), 1 x kontaratoi (Sp) or marines (4Ax), 3 x archers (Ps or 3/4Bw)
Terrain: Littoral
Aggression: 1
Enemies:
Allies: II/58 or IV/22 or IV/47 or IV/49 or IV/55a