Дефанзивно наоружање нордијских и других западних најамника у Комнинској Византији
The Defensive Armament of Nordic and other Western Mercenaries in Comnenian Byzantium

Summary/Abstract: The work is an attempt to reconstruct basic arsenal of defensive weaponry of westeuropean, especially Scandinavian mercenaries in Byzantium of Comnenian epoch. The work is based on byzantine and western contemporary written sources. It deals with main components of defensive weaponry (shield, armor, helmet, etc.). The remarks on every defensive component began with hypothetical presumption on original component types, then it continues with potential mentions of the component in contemporary written sources, and end with short functional comparison with relative byzantine components. The work concludes that essential structure of defensive armament of Nordic and other West European mercenaries remained as same in Byzantine service as in their native lands, due to the fact they continued to perform the functions of heavy infantry (Nordmen and Anglo-Saxons) and heavy cavalry (Italo- Normans and other continental cavalrymen).

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