The Byzantine Army

The History and Legacy of the Byzantine Empire’s Military During the Middle Ages

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: Colin Fluxman

It would be hard if not outright impossible to overstate the impact Roman Emperor Constantine I had on the history of Christianity, Ancient Rome, and Europe as a whole.

Best known as Constantine the Great, the kind of moniker only earned by rulers who have distinguished themselves in battle and conquest, Constantine remains an influential and controversial figure to this day. He achieved enduring fame by being the first Roman emperor to personally convert to Christianity, and for his notorious Edict of Milan, the imperial decree which legalized the worship of Christ and promoted religious freedom throughout the Empire.

More than 1500 years after Constantine’s death, Abdu'l-Bahá, the head of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote, “His blessed name shines out across the dawn of history like the morning star, and his rank and fame among the world's noblest and most highly civilized is still on the tongues of Christians of all denominations”

The Byzantine Army: The History and Legacy of the Byzantine Empire’s Military during the Middle Ages examines the history of the Byzantine military machine, why it was so successful, and why, in the end, it failed to preserve a civilization that had lasted a thousand years.

©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2019 Charles River Editors

It was almost over before it started.

Book was too short. Did not go into the detail I wanted. Very cursory description of a few battles.

An Excellent Overview of the Byzantine Army

The book is a good well read overview of the Byzantine Army from 330AD - 1453AD.

Lack of focus, misleading title.

Chapters are entirely too long and cover too much to actually be a useful tool. Very little to do with the Byzantine Army in terms of content, except general summaries of some battles. There is a lengthy section devoted to quoting an extremely detailed architectural description of the Hagia Sophia and its history, for example. The book is fine if you are looking to read about the exploits of some of the more well known Emperors and general Byzantine history, but the title is very much misleading otherwise.