ÚVODNÁ FÁZA BYZANTSKO-NORMANSKEJ VOJNY A BYZANTSKÁ PORÁŽKA V BITKE PRI DYRRACHIU (1081)

• Authors: Meško Marek

Title variants

EN

Initial phase of the Byzantine-Normans war and Byzantine defeat at the battle of Dyrrachion (1081)

• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

In the present article author describes the initial phase of the first Byzantine war against the Normans, as well as the battle of Dyrrachion, which took place on the 18th October 1081. These events represent the most crucial moments at the beginning of the reign of Alexios I Komnenos who only rose to power in early April 1081. While desperately struggling against invasion of the Norman host led by a very capable and intelligent military leader Robert Guiscard count of Apulia and Calabria, the young Byzantine emperor had to overcome many internal difficulties of political, military and economic nature. Finally, he was able to lead almost the whole Byzantine field army from Constantinople through Thessalonica towards Dyrrachion besieged by the Normans in August 1081. The battle itself ended in a heavy defeat of Byzantine forces which, however, had enjoyed numerical superiority at the beginning of this encounter. The analysis takes into account detailed depiction of a composition and number of opposing forces, as well as other factors (e.g. mindset of Robert Guiscard and aims of Alexios Komnenos before the battle, topographical layout of the battleground) which influenced the final outcome. Also the description of the battle itself contains new approaches that are confronted at times with traditional narratives of this decisive battle that can be found in historical sources and secondary literature.

Keywords

EN

MILITARY HISTORY; BYZANTINE; BYZANTINE-NORMANS WAR; BATTLE OF DYRRACHION; NORMANS

• Publisher: Vojenský historický ústav Bratislava
• Journal: Vojenská história
• Year: 2017
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 6 - 37

Contributors

author

Meško Marek

• Filozofická fakulta Masarykovy Univerzity, Ústav klasických studií Arna Nováka 1, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic