This book provides a new military history of Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos's campaigns in the Balkans, during the first fourteen years of his rule. While the tactics and manoeuvres Alexios used against Robert Guiscard's Normans are relatively well-known, his strategy in dealing with Pecheneg and Cuman adversaries in the region has received less attention in historical scholarship. This book provides a much-need synthesis of these three closely linked campaigns often treated as discrete events revealing a surprising coherence in Alexios' response, and explores the position of Byzantium's army and navy on the eve of the First Crusade.

Examines Alexios I Komnenos's military strategy in the Balkans, during the crucial first fourteen years of his reign Sheds light on the campaigns against the Pechenegs and Cumans, which received conflict with Normans in the 1080s Provides a synthesis of all three campaigns, and an assessment of Byzantium's military strength

Autorentext
Marek Meko is an assistant professor at the University of Hradec Kralove, Institute of History, Czech Republic.

Inhalt

1. Introduction .- 2. Army and Navy in Eleventh-Century Byzantium .- 3. Alexios I Komnenos .- 4. War against the Normans (10811085) .- 5. War against the Pechenegs (10831091) .- 6. Kuman Invasion (1095) .- 7. Synthesis .- 8. Conclusion.