Although the famous legions of the Roman Empire ceased to exist, the Byzantine armed forces, both infantry and cavalry, were trained according to Roman military manuals. Tactics of land and naval warfare, siege equipment, armor and protective gear, and the organization of military supplies were adopted from war experiences dating back to previous historical periods.
The most powerful weapon at Byzantium’s disposal was Greek fire – a flammable mixture that could not be extinguished with water, but only by cutting off the air supply, which was the prototype of napalm. The production and composition of the mixture (likely sulfur, tartar, tar, rubber, and saltpeter or petroleum, resin, tar, oils, plant juices, and metals) were kept strictly secret. Greek fire was hurled at the enemy using ballistae, catapults in barrels or spheres, or siphons.
Byzantine fire was obtained by adding quicklime to Greek fire, as a result of which the mixture ignited explosively upon contact with seawater and could even burn underwater. Greek and Byzantine fire struck terror into enemy soldiers encountering it for the first time, both during naval battles and during the siege of cities.
Organization of army supplies
The annona system was better suited to troops permanently stationed in one place than to the needs of an army participating in a campaign. Therefore, requisitions (coemptio/synone) of products necessary for the army began to be carried out, the value of which was deducted from the producer’s taxes. Forced sales, although accounted for by tax authorities, as well as the obligation for private individuals to provide quarters for soldiers (mitaton) when a unit arrived in a city, caused numerous complaints from citizens. The authorities promised a fair price for goods subject to requisition and limited the scope of services owed to a soldier by the citizen hosting them. Unfortunately, these measures proved ineffective, as complaints about the procedures for fulfilling obligations to the military continued.
With the exception of campaigns planned in advance and supported by the fleet, such as Belisarius’ expedition to Africa, the commissariat rarely had sufficient time to accumulate the necessary supplies and, above all, to prepare means of transport. Regardless of where the campaign took place – on its own territory or the enemy’s – the Byzantine army lived mainly off what it captured.
Troop deployment
Every soldier carried or wore their own weapons and equipment, as well as food supplies sufficient for several days. The moving army was always accompanied by numerous pack animals and baggage wagons, transporting supplies of material resources in case of prolonged military operations, as well as equipment necessary for siege works and fortification tasks. Only behind them followed the service, foragers, and camp followers, as well as vivandières, whose presence with the troops was accepted with difficulty by the command.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 2/2011.