Varangian Guard 988-1453
Varangian Guard 988-1453 The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies. These 5,000 men were then retained as…
Specifikacia Varangian Guard 988-1453
Varangian Guard 988-1453
The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies. These 5,000 men were then retained as Basil's personal guard and would provide loyal service to many successive occupants of the imperial throne.Commonly referred to as 'foreigners' (Etaireia), they were nonetheless absorbed into a new Palatine regiment under command of an officer termed the Akolouthos, who was either a Norsemen or a Rus (Norsemen colonizers of Russia). Descendants from a legendary line of warriors, the Varangian Guard was formed after a group of Viking mercenaries made a major contribution to the Byzantine Emperor Basil II's victory over rebel forces in 988 AD.
But most famously, they always wielded their own The Varangians wore mixtures of their native clothing and armor together with a splendid formal Byzantine uniform.