Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Preface
- 1 Varangians and their origins
- 2 The army and navy of the High Byzantine Empire
- 3 Norse and Russian forces in the Byzantine army to the death of Romanos III
- 4 Haraldr Sigurðarson and his period as a Varangian in Constantinople, 1034–1043
- 5 The Varangians between 1042 and 1081
- 6 Varangians during the period 1081–1204
- 7 The ghost of the regiment: Varangian evidences 1204–1453
- 8 The Emperor, his Court, his guards and his city
- 9 Some individual Norse and English Varangians and travellers to Byzantium
- 10 Runic inscriptions concerning Varangians
- Select bibliography
- Index
5 - The Varangians between 1042 and 1081
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Preface
- 1 Varangians and their origins
- 2 The army and navy of the High Byzantine Empire
- 3 Norse and Russian forces in the Byzantine army to the death of Romanos III
- 4 Haraldr Sigurðarson and his period as a Varangian in Constantinople, 1034–1043
- 5 The Varangians between 1042 and 1081
- 6 Varangians during the period 1081–1204
- 7 The ghost of the regiment: Varangian evidences 1204–1453
- 8 The Emperor, his Court, his guards and his city
- 9 Some individual Norse and English Varangians and travellers to Byzantium
- 10 Runic inscriptions concerning Varangians
- Select bibliography
- Index
Summary
When Zoe and Theodora had settled once more on the throne as reigning Empresses, they continued to show favour to the regiment that had served them so well in their need. Psellus gives a description of their state receptions at which the Varangians were prominent among the guards on duty: ‘near them [the Empresses] were the staff-bearers and the sword-bearers, and the men who carry axes on their right shoulders [i.e. Varangians]’.
Zoe's third husband, Constantine IX Monomachos, was in no way the equal in abilities to his predecessor Michael IV, and the Empire was greatly weakened in his day through his reliance on civil servants. He was not, however, entirely destitute of military skill, and was obliged to defend his throne early in his reign against a formidable enemy. In April 1042 Maniaces had returned to Italy and began a ferocious campaign of reconquest for the Byzantines. On the fall of Michael V, however, his enemies regained power in Constantinople, and through the machinations of the Emperor's mistress's brother, Romanos Skleros, Maniaces was recalled to the City. His reaction was to have himself acclaimed Emperor and raise a revolt in the catepanate of Italy, but he did not have the success he had hoped for, as neither the Langobards under Argyros, son of Meles, nor the Normans of Calabria were willing to rally to his cause.
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- Information
- The Varangians of Byzantium , pp. 103 - 121Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1979