Byzantine units in MTW2 and in history
Light infantry (Psilon):
Peasants = Helotes[ALL] Paroikoi
Helots or Helotes means taxpayers. Contrary to Stratiotai (soldiers) they were generally not expected to fight! Though they could be called up for guard services (tzakonike phylaxis) - see Tzakones
Town Militia = Tzakones (preferable with clubs) [ALL]
a.) Tzakones, Phylakes or Viglai are watchmen provided by the cities. Unlike the Stratiotai they weren't expected to fight, but to perform guard duties for which professional soldiers were freed from. Surviving evidens suggests that they needn't be armed in anyway... In the later HIGH era cities often employed professionals to do the job. These professional guards might well have been more or less properly equipped.
b.) Macebearing Imperial Marines
c.) As Palace Guard first mentioned in 1262, last recorded in 1285 but certainly didn't survive the reign of Andronikos II (1282-1328).
Spear Militia = Phylakes [ALL]
see Tzakones but just a.)
{Javelinmen = Riptaristai (or Akontistai) [ALL]}
Riptaristai or better known under their earlier name: Akontistai, are line infantrymen armed with javelins (riptarion or akoution). Generally supposed to be armed and equipped like the heavy armed infantry but carrying javelins and 'more moderate' shields insteed of pike and hoplite-shield their main job is to protect the space between the taxeis (~phalanx). In addition to that the can skirmish with the enemy, fight in terrain unsuitable for heavy infantry and to support the cavalry when pursuing the enemy after the victory.
Riptaristai can be taken from the ranks of the heavy infantry but generals are advised to employ foreign troops - preferable Rhos - insteed!
Byzantine Spearmen = Peltastai [ALL]
Since the pike (kontarion makron) that is the prime weapon of the heavy infantry needs a great deal of training and is far heavier than spears of normal lenght, second rank troops can be equiped with the kontarion mikron ('normal' spear) insteed. These troops were called Peltastai!
I am not sure about Javelinmen and Byz Spearmen/Peltastai, maybe combine them into a single Peltastai ?
Heavy Infantry (Hopliton/Skoutaraton):
Byzantine Infantry = Paramonai [ALL] or [HIGH & LATE] depending on concept!
a.) In the EARLY periode the term 'Paramonai' apeared in military treaties but without telling us what they were. From there function they might have been either aides, bodyguards or retainer...
b.) As an Imperial Guard unit the Paramonai are first recorded in 1272 and were last mentioned in 1315. Unlike the Varangoi, Mourtatoi and other units the Paramonai consisted of native Byzantines. Paramonai were recorded both mounted and on foot. The foot soldiers being armed with swords.
{Byzantine armoured spearmen = Peltastai Enoplioi [ALL]} Skoutatoi
Armoured Peltastai
{Byzantine Armoured Pikemen = Skoutatoi (or Hoplitai) [ALL]} Kontaratoi
Hoplitai or in earlier manuals Skoutatoi are Byzantine heavy infantry. Armed with the 12-16 ft kontarion makron or pike they form the backbone of the battle infantry. Their prime task is to act defensively in order to provide a save heaven for the cavalry as the striking arm of the army.
Though the description of the hoplitai and their equipment was generally simply copied from earlier manuals, there is one difference to the Skoutatoi: the later were at least in theory supposed to be armoured in solid armour such as mail shirts or lamellar (klibanion) while the Hoplitai were supposed to wear a knee long protective armour (kabadion) only.
{Menavlatoi [ALL]}
The infantry's anti-cataphract specialists. Armoured and equipped in the same way as the Hoplitai but carrying the menavlion - a thick, heavy and solid spear of normal lenght - and a smaller shield.
Varangian Guard = Pelekyphoroi or Varangoi [ALL]
The Varangoi (Varangians or Vikings) are said to have provided the Emperors personal bodyguard (Hetaireia Basiklike or Megas Hetaireia). They are often named after their large battle-axe: Pelekyphoroi (Axe-bearers). It has been sugested that most of the Varangians might have been much less heavy armoured than generally assumed and that maybe even not all of them carried the famous batte-axes...
Dismounted Byzantine Lancers = Kontaratoi (or Pezkontaratoi) [ALL] I still like Dismounted Stratiotai or maybe Pronoiarioi Spatharoi?
Dismounted Byzantine Lancers often fought as armoured Hoplitai or Skoutatoi.
Dismounted Latinkon = Spatharioi ton Latinkon [ALL]
Means 'Sword-bearer of the Latin(s) mercenaries...
Missile Infantry:
Peasant Archers = Psiloi [ALL]
In acient days all light troops were described as 'Psiloi', while Byzantine military treaties use this term exclusively for the foot archers. Though Byzantine Psiloi were armoured in the standart armour - the knee long padded kabadion, for games sake it might be better to leave them unarmoured!
Archer Militia = Toxotai [ALL]
In Byzantine military treaties the term 'Toxotai' usually describes the bow-armed line cavalry, but can be used for foot archers too...
Trebizond Archers [ALL] Trapezounta Toxotai
Due to closer contact to the Turks the Trebizontians apearantly became more profident with the bow than the rest of the Empire...
Byzantine Guard Archers = Mourtatoi [HIGH & LATE]
The Mourtatoi were soldiers of mixed Turkish-Byzantine marriages. Mourtatoi or Murtati in Latin is ought to dereive from the Arabo-Turkish word murtedd, murtat meaning "apostolate" or "renegade". Unlike the Tourkopouloi the Mourtatoi didn't seem to be Christianized Turks...
They seemed to have been employed not only by the Emperor but by other lords, too (not only in Byzantium). Existing evidence sugests that they fought as foot archers. As an Imperial Guard unit the Mourtatoi existed around 1310-14 and may not have existed after 1328...
Heavy Cavalry (Kataphrakton):
Kataphractoi = Kataphraktoi [ALL] -> preferable mace only!
a.) After the Byzantine military treaties the Kataphraktoi were the native Byzantine heavy cavalry. Originally armoured with a klibanion with sleaves but unknown lenght sandwiched between two thick padded protective garments (knee long kabadion under the klibanion and epilorikon above), greaves protecting the lower arms and legs, mail zabai protecting exposed bodyparts between the klibanion and greaves, a mail hood protecting the face and a heavy helmet protecting the head. Later klibanion and greaves were replaced with mail shirt/coat and mail stockings.
Though armed with lance, mace (or paramerion), sword and bow, Kataphraktoi were typically supposed to fight with the mace as their main impact weapon! The archers in the cataphract-wedge might well derived from the line cavalry.
b.) Generic term for the heavy cavalry sometimes including the line cavalry as well.
Kataphraktoi/Klibanophoroi may have survived until the introduction of western cavalry tactics by Manuel I Komnenios but may have disappeared as early as 1000 AD... Horse armour remained in use until the end of the Byzantine army. Though certainly not for entire units!
Byzantine Lancers = Kontaratoi Hippotai [ALL] Stratiotai or Pronoiarioi Kavallarioi
Kontaratoi Hippotai - in the military treaties refered to as Kontaratoi - were the lance bearing medium armoured line cavalry. Originally armoured with the padded kabadion (gambison) and either klibanion (lamellar) or lorikion (hauberjon - mail or scale) and armed with lance, sword and mace, they formed around 60% of the line cavalry.
Latinkon = Kaballarioi/Kavallarioi (ton Latinkon) [ALL]
Kaballarios or Kavallarios was originally a Hellenized Latin term for cavalry. In the HIGH periode it was used exclusively as the term for western knights in Byzantine employ (usually as Pronoiarioi).
Militia Cavalry = Trapezitoi (Tassinarioi, Chosarioi or Prokoursatores) [ALL]
Byzantine light cavalry including both lancers and archers. Usually taken either from frontier cavalry or elite Tagmatic cavalry.
General's Bodyguard = Klibanophoroi [ALL]
Klibanophoroi are cataphracts fighting in the way of the old Equites Clibanarii with the lance. Klibanophoroi may have been among the personal retainers of generals and the Emperor. One of the few actions of supposingly lance-armed cataphracts was performed by the Tagma of the Athanatai. Probably the Athanatai remained to be composed of Kataphraktoi/Klibanophoroi until the end of Alexios I Komnenios reign in 1118. Kataphraktoi/Klibanophoroi may have survived until the introduction of western cavalry tactics by Manuel I Komnenios but may have disappeared as early as 1000 AD...
Horse armour remained in use until the end of the Byzantine army. Though certainly not for entire units!
Missile Cavalry:
Byzantine Cavalry = Hippo-Toxotai [ALL]
Hippo-Toxotai - in the military treaties refered to as Toxotai - were the bow bearing medium armoured line cavalry. Originally armoured with the padded kabadion (gambison) and either klibanion (lamellar) or lorikion (hauberjon - mail or scale) and armed with bow, sword and mace, they formed around 40% of the line cavalry.
Skythikon [ALL]
Generic ancient term for the horse riding steppe people in Byzantine employ. Usually performing as horse archers.
Vardariotai [HIGH & LATE]
Soldiers from a people of Christianized Turks settled in the Macedonian Vardar valley. They actually weren't listed as soldiers but as unarmed palace servants and may have rather performed in a policing than military function!
First attested in 1166 and may have survived in the 14th century.
Name in{} are units that are missing and should be added.
Hope I got them all...
EDIT: Adopted changes that had vanished in a ' TWC database error'!
EDIT: Eras included and when several terms given the lesser prefered put into ().
EDIT: Blue comments were made by SicilianVespers.
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Originally Posted by Basileios
