Faction - Byzantine Empire

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

This would be great. I'll have to talk to the leaders od the mod to see what they think.

[AnthoniusII]

Great.........if two supermods could help each other they could make history!

[\Vazul's Ghost/]

This is very exciting...

[Swagger]

Marines : These Marines form an important part of the late Byzantine military as there has been constant fighting for the islands of the Aegean and the Morea. Hailing from the Pelopponesos, they also were used as a palace guard at times. They are equiped with a mace, saber and circlular shield along with light mail armour and a distinctive bule over tunic with a white lion chestplate. Aggressive in nature these light troops make up for their lack in armour and range with skill and training.

my favourite unit..

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Glad you like it, check out http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=154106 for more great Byzantine stuff!

[schasapoglou]

Hello to everyone. I am a fun of Tsardoms for a long time and I am especially interrested in Byzantine History. I only want to notice that it is not for sure that the late Byzantine Army even used plate armor. Most of the pictorial sources of the 13th - 15th centuries indicate that lamellar armor was very common amongst the Byzantines. Even in the churches of Mystra the military saints are portrayed with lamellar armor. See also Ian Heath - Angus McBride Byzantine Armies 1118 - 1461 Osprey Publishing. Keep up the good work!

PS Is Monemvasia going to be a seperate province in the Campaign map?

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Don't worry, I have that same book and more, and no Byzantine units will have plate armour, at least not to start with. There may be upgrades possible for a few units to plate armour as Byzantium likely would have acquired it had they had the chance. Only mercenary units(like Latinikon) will have any plate armour.

Monemvasia will be a fortress, meaning it is not a province, but will be defensible in the game.

[neoptolemos]

Why not plate armour to Byazntines?
The italian communitiew in Byzantine empire would have offered plate armour as trade in the Byzantine lords and those who could afforeded it....
Plate armour(in fact partial plate)must be the last evolution in the Byzantine armoury!

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Why not plate armour to Byazntines?
The italian communitiew in Byzantine empire would have offered plate armour as trade in the Byzantine lords and those who could afforeded it....
Plate armour(in fact partial plate)must be the last evolution in the Byzantine armoury!

That is why I was saying it will be available as an upgrade. The Byzantines certainly had access to plate armour and would have used it had they had the time and money, but it doesn't seem to have been used other than for a few very wealthy individuals (like Constantine XI probably).

[AnthoniusII]

There was a compination of clasic byzantine armors with partial plate ones imported from Italy mostly!
Then a byzantine pronoiar with the heavy lamerall guirass,padeed armor and partial plate parts for his arms and legs!

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

All you Greeks and Turks better watch out! I'm heading to Greece and Turkey the next 2 weeks, so I won't be here.

[Hektor27]

European at that time considered Italians as Romans and the Western Romans as Greeks, so I think the name should be Greco Roman Empire or simply Byzantine Empire ( since people are more familiar with it).
Plate armour was very rare in the Late Empire ( accessible to high born nobles only). Even in his last battle defending Constantinople, emperor Constantine XI was wearing the Klibanion armour when he charged into the invaders on the city street. (i don't quote since i don't remember the exact words).

[neoptolemos]

Few years before the fall of Constantinople if a diplomat wanted to see the Basilea of Greeks simply he would have not been accepted.....

[ComnenusTheOne]

Few years before the fall of Constantinople if a diplomat wanted to see the Basilea of Greeks simply he would have not been accepted.....

You had to consider him King of Romans?

Remarkable how you might lose the empire but never the prestige. Kinda shows that a military loss meant more or less nothing to a strong leadership.

[AnthoniusII]

Basileus does not mean King!It means dominator like the older Anactas!
That is why the emperors choosed that title becouse it had global meaning!

[ComnenusTheOne]

Dunno....we just say Kralj.

[Zenith Darksea]

Basileus does not mean King!It means dominator like the older Anactas!

Actually, in Classical Greek basileus does mean 'king'. The literal translation of the Latin imperator ('emperor') is autokrator. I assume that, by 'Anactas', you are referring to the Classical Greek anax? Well, that can be translated as 'king' as well.

However, by the time of the later Roman Empire, the meaning of basileus had become quite blurred, so that we can also translate it as 'emperor'.

[Stavroforos]

Anax is the word for King in Mycenaean Greece, not classical Greece or later, though obviously it remained in some forms, such as anaktora, or palace. Basileus also comes from this time but from what I recall it initially meant something like war-chief, then it came to mean king. By the Byzantine times, basileus was analogous to imperator in its traditional definition, but autokrator was more analogous to imperator as 'emperor'. Feel free to correct any of that anyone, my recollection is kinda fuzzy.

[neoptolemos]

anax or wanax in Mycenean greek ,you are correct about that Stavroforos

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

I just got back from my Byzantine trip and must say that the Empire is even more impressive seeing its remains than simply reading about it. I saw some awesome sites(like the Hagia Sophia, St. Savior in the Chora, Theodosian Walls, Cappodocian Churches, Ephesus, many other Byzantine churches, Byzantine weapons and armour, and coins of almost every Emperor) and now love the Empire even more. I also want to say that all the Greeks and Turks I met were very nice and helpful. You guys have an amazing heritage.