varangian guard

bahdahbum · Post by **bahdahbum** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:53 am

I posted it in another discussion, but should have oppened a new topic for clarity sakes , so here it is :

There is one thing I do not understand in the army list . Varangians were already used as a "guard" unit in 980's . Ok at that time, they are cassified as varangian mercenaries . But why wait till the mythic date "1042" to give the option for a thrue varangian guard ? , drilled, armoured or heavily armoured ...

Why not earlier while Basil II was still alive ( he died 1025) as it was mainly his guard unit . It would seem to me that after some 20 years of service, the varangians would have reached the status of a regular drilled unit . They had a uniform and so on ( a nice uniform does not make a good soldier , but here they received the nice uniform after some years of service )

There are records of norsemen coming back home fully equiped before that date . It is also mentionned in the osprey army book concerning the byzantine army of that area . ( men at arms 89 ). I know historians discovered some new info since the publication of that book, but it is disturbing .

Can someone explain that decision ? Why wait "1042" for a thue , drilled varangian guard, why not the year "1000"

bahdahbum · Post by **bahdahbum** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:43 pm

Hey guys I am just asking for an historical explanation ....has no one an idea ?

I do not want to change the list

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:04 pm

As the book was completed a year ago, buggered if I can recall that particulr detail