【Kings and Generals】東羅馬軍隊如何衰落 - 軍隊與戰術

在之前的視頻中,我們看到中東的巴勒斯坦軍隊如何被組織成為市區主題和皇帝級的事件,以及如何它能夠配備對抗其對手,也就是穆斯林和布爾戈斯。 然而,馬子克爾的危機戰亦造成了亞利桑那州的大量土地損失,並因此弱化了主題系統。 儘管最早的改革是在十一世紀以後的亞歷克薩第一帝王時期,以及後來的帕雷歐洛基時期,巴勒斯坦軍隊從未能夠重塑過去的榮耀,並在1453年在廣州的崩塌以後仍然是一個陰影。 歡迎來到我們的視頻,關於巴勒斯坦軍隊的最早時期。 亞歷克薩第一帝王時期最著名的改革叫做普羅尼亞系統。 普羅尼亞是土地收入和勞動服務的獎勵,由區區居民負責。 皇帝給予一個人的財政權益,並通常是稅務責任,困擾農民和無法移動的土地,如廟宇、礦坑和城堡。 普羅尼亞,被稱為獎勵收入者,只掌握了巴勒斯坦政府所擁有的土地財政權益,而由於收入源源自區區而來,獎勵的形式也如此。 像他們的前輩,中巴勒斯坦時期的主題士兵,普羅尼亞領袖們形容的是他們年齡的軍隊。 他們可能不是多數類型的軍隊,也不是最重要的,但他們代表了中巴勒斯坦時期的軍隊更好。 普羅尼亞人通常是帝國的原住民,雖然有些外國人的收入源源自土地,但不像主題士兵,他們的僱員是中央政府,而不是本地政府。 因此,普羅尼亞人不是本地士兵,而是中央軍隊的一員,因此普羅尼亞人通常是原住民。 這不應該讓人誤以為他們是全職軍人,因為他們是資本主義人士,他們需要收入,否則他們的薪水會用來在其他地方提供軍隊。 最富有的人也被小財賓陪伴,最大的不超過80人,而正常人數大概只有幾人。 這些人被稱為Eki,也就是親屬,有時也被家庭犯罪人士補償。 他們被預期為重型士兵,而軍隊是由小財賓提供的,他們被賦予了土地來種植, 即使在他們的情況下,他們也不需要自己去種植,而他們可以將土地租給小財賓。 普羅尼亞制度與西洋佛教制度有著很多相似之處,但有著相當大的差異。 不像菲律賓人,普羅尼亞人只能被皇帝賦予,因此不能被分裂。 此外,土地仍然是由政府擁有的,並不是普羅尼亞人的私人土地, 只獲得了稅務權。因此,不像西洋人, 普羅尼亞人是免稅人,可以購買和銷售土地或離開他們的村莊。 普羅尼亞人無論富貴或窮,仍然是士兵,因此必須組織成單位。 很遺憾的是,近代的俄羅斯作家們是不堅固的, 使用了古代的詞彙。然而,有一個詞語是與普羅尼亞士兵緊密連接的, 就是阿拉伽亞。由阿拉哈託指揮,即現代大尉, 這些單位大約包括300至500名士兵。在莫雷亞的時代記錄中, 普羅尼亞大尉阿拉哈託指揮有18個阿拉伽亞,共有6000名普羅尼亞士兵, 意味著每個單位約有330名士兵。理論上來說,他們可以分成 150至10名的小型單位,並且在規模上升,幾個單位可以結合 來組織稅務權、稅務權、房屋和稅務權。這兩項不應該被迷惑 在早期世紀的皇帝論文中。基督教來源也提到一些不同類型的 阿拉伽亞,如果我們可以這樣稱呼它們。這些是巴西利卡,皇帝,美赫拉, 偉大和真正的阿拉伽亞。第一個類型大致上指的是 皇帝保衛的單位,而偉大的阿拉伽亞很可能是大型部隊, 如現代部隊般的大型部隊。該部隊可能包括各個省份的士兵, 無論是士兵或軍隊,囚禁或貨幣,被稱為美赫拉阿拉伽亞。 他們最初出現在1280年代的帕萊爾洛基下,持續了大約一世紀, 因為他們所居住的省份逐漸被俄羅斯人和俄羅斯人擊敗。 自此以後,俄羅斯軍隊的軍事組織似乎完全不受影響。 我們在上一集看到的著名的保衛隊伍中,只有維吾爾保衛 能夠活下阿拉伽亞的死亡。他們加入了一支維吾爾保衛隊伍, 主要負責警察的任務。這些人是來自烏克蘭和庫曼,在皇帝 約翰三世的時期,他們已經佔領了瓦達河的上游,因此獲得了稱號。 雖然在他們早期被視為外國人,他們逐漸被希臘化,直到他們 被視為殘疾人而不再被視為殘疾人,成為了皇帝的公民。保衛隊伍 還包括了兩支阿拉伽亞保衛隊伍,其中一支是軍隊,另一支是士兵, 以及一支腳印軍隊,Mortatti,來自混合德國-土耳其, 或基督派土耳其人。另外,還有一支穿著特殊胸罩的士兵, 穿著白色獅子,Sakonis。最後,Nikephoros Gregoros 提到皇帝約翰六世Kantakouzenos擁有了500座阿拉伽亞保衛隊伍, 主要由約翰·帕拉特拉帶領。由約翰·帕拉特拉帶領的一位同輩, Theodore Palaiologos的作品叫做《指示》,我們可以瞭解更多關於當時使用的武器。 Theodore Palaiologos的作品是古巴時代最先進的軍事手冊, 雖然它使用了西方語言,但並不難翻譯成 古巴的相似語言。14世紀的典型的古巴士兵 採用了Pourpoix,Aubergeon,Gaugeret,Courier和一些Gambeson, Chapelle de Ferre,Sword or Glaive,Greaves,Huisse,Lance and Shield。 Pourpoix大致上代表了中東似乎存在過的Padded Surcoat。 Under the Surcoat was the Aubergeon or Coat of Mail, which was worn in great variety, either short or long-sleeved, knee or waist long, and with attached or separate mittens. Some late Byzantine soldiers, however, preferred to wear cuirasses on top or in place of the hallmarks. These were made out of metallic or hardened leather lamellae, resembling those of Turko-Mongolic origin. The Gaugeret was a kind of neck guard, either mail or plate. Contemporary Byzantine art depicts various kinds of neck guards, rigid or semi-rigid, made of iron lamellae or hardened leather. However, the Curiei Theodori mentions, which was a leather garment worn under the hauberk, is not mentioned nor seen in Byzantine sources. Finally, the most common type of helmet used during the late Byzantine era was the Chapelle de Ferre, literally the Iron Hat. Its shape ranged from conical to roundish, and its brim was either flat and wide or narrow and sloping downwards. As with previous helmet designs, it wasn't unusual for it to have attached mail avontails or be worn over a mail hood. The defensive equipment of the typical cavalryman was completed with a large shield of an elongated triangular design, often called the Norman shield. On the other hand, it is not a secret that the infantry branch constituted the Achilles heel of the late Byzantine armies. It was separated into heavy and light infantry that fought as spearmen and archers respectively. The spearmen, the so-called kontorati, were armed with a long spear, a sword, and a large western-type almond-shaped shield. Their armour was usually leather or chainmail, with the first ranks often wearing extra protection. In battle, they deployed in formations four ranks deep, and unlike their predecessors, they had no archers to support them as part of the same unit. The archers themselves were divided into two subcategories. On one hand, there were well-equipped and disciplined units, able to even defend themselves in melee combat, however, these troops were limited in numbers. Much larger and common was the second type, that consisted of unarmoured archers, that besides their bow, were only equipped with a dagger or knife. From the end of the 13th century, these men weren't even professional soldiers, but instead peasants that were called to fulfil their duties towards the state. During the 14th century, a large percentage of Byzantine archers abandoned the traditional composite bow for the western crossbow, which the Byzantines called zahra. These men constituted a separate force, and were commanded by the stratopithahes Tonsangraturon. Famed archers were also many of the Cretans who served in the Byzantine army of that period with great distinction, and whom Ducas describes as the empire's most faithful subjects. Characteristic of their bravery and loyalty is the story of the Cretans that fought during the siege of Constantinople in 1453. It is possible that these men were part of a guard unit, the existence of which was recorded in 1422. But whether guardsmen or not, the Cretans showed such great tenacity in their task of defending three towers near the Blakeney Palace, that the Ottomans allowed them to leave the city unmolested. While archers and crossbowmen constituted the vast majority of missile troops of the time, by the late 14th century a new technology was spreading in the Balkans, gunpowder artillery followed by handguns. Despite the fact that the Byzantines knew of the existence of firearms by 1392 at the latest, the virtually non-existent economic sources of the empire meant that it was impossible for them to participate in this late medieval arms race, and it is unlikely they possessed their own until 1422, when according to Calcocondyles, cannons were used to defend the walls of Constantinople from the Ottoman besiegers. These guns were probably acquired from Venice or Genoa. Any army cannons Byzantium obtained after 1422 were given as gifts from various European states, and so far there is no evidence that the Byzantines ever manufactured their own. The only known record of a cannon founder in the area of Constantinople is that of the Hungarian Orban who had offered his services to the Byzantines in 1452, one year before the Ottomans would capture the city. But the emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos could not afford his high salary demands, nor could he supply the necessary for the gun's construction. Thus, Orban approached the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and was given abundant funds and materials to create a giant gun that would demolish the city's walls. Ironically, the Hungarian engineer would die during the siege by one of his own creations when a cannon exploded, claiming the lives of both him and the crew. The Byzantines also used artillery during the siege of 1453, however, their guns were not as numerous as the Ottomans, and contemporary historians that were also eyewitnesses inform us that their discharge shook the walls and did more damage to them than the enemy. Leonardo of Chios adds that because of a shortage of both powder and projectiles, the guns could not be fired very often, but when they did, they caused a great number of casualties in the Turkish camp. From two instances during the siege of 1453, we can see that the Byzantines not only lacked artillery, but also lacked comprehensive knowledge regarding its deployment and usage. This inability to understand how artillery was supposed to operate seems to have created frictions amongst the defenders, as Leonardo of Chios informs us that Lucas Notaris denied Giovanni Justiniani's request to use the city's cannons to defend his section of the wall. The second incident revolves around an unlucky anonymous gunner that served the largest cannon the Byzantines used. According to Calcocondyles, when the gun exploded, which was a common occurrence at the time, the gunner was accused of having received bribes from the Turks. Smaller firearms, for which the Byzantines had several names, like molifofolon, lead-thrower, skopita, or tufax, might not have even been adopted by the Byzantines at all. The only evidence we have is the suspicious account of Ducas, who in 1462 wrote that the Byzantines during the siege of 1453 shot lead balls which were propelled by powder 5 and 10 at a time, and as small as Pontic walnuts. However, it is known that among the Italian defenders of Constantinople, there were some equipped with handguns. The limited artillery and the unimpressive number of defenders that had gathered to defend Constantinople in 1453 was in fact a small miracle accomplished through the hard labour of Constantine Palaeologos. Despite his efforts, however, the small, ill-trained and ill-equipped Byzantine army couldn't defend against the might of the Ottoman besiegers. The conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans signalled the end of the Empire, and consequently, the end of the Imperial army as a constitution that had existed for over a thousand years. However, we still have a few more episodes on the Byzantine army on the way, so make sure you are subscribed and have pressed the bell button to see them. Please, consider liking, commenting, and sharing – it helps immensely. Our videos would be impossible without our kind patrons and youtube channel members, whose ranks you can join via the links in the description to know our schedule, get early access to our videos, access our discord, and much more. This is the Kings and Generals channel, and we will catch you on the next one.