The Varangian guard and its contribution to the manifestation of the imperial power in Byzantium
The Varangian guard and its contribution to the manifestation of the imperial power in Byzantium

Summary/Abstract: The idea that motivated the writing of this article was to treat an aspect not only of the Byzantine military history, but also of the long lasting impression that this millenary empire has left on the Northern “barbarians”, as they are often called in the Orthodox medieval sources. Its central concept is, as the title already suggests it, the imperial ideology of power, but from another perspective: the contribution of the feared Scandinavian warriors to its outlining in the Byzantine public life, as opposed to the emperor’s private existence, always hidden from the eyes of his subjects. Also, I have tried to summarise a fragment of the Norse perception on Byzantium and in what manner it influenced the former participants at the Byzantine military campaigns when they returned home.The paper has two main directions: first of all, the one that analyses the role of the Varangian guard in the life of the Basileus and their function in the display of his divine power. Secondly, the way in which the Scandinavian mercenaries perceived their military service and their proximity to the one considered imago Dei. Furthermore, this approach is preceded by a short history of the Varangian guard and its unique type of organisation inside the Byzantine army, as well as a short description of the Norse-Byzantine relations before the founding of this special unit.

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