| Index
Syllabus
Readings:
Book List
Iconoclasm
Discussion
Topics
Chronologies:
Imperial Crisis
Later Roman
Emperors, 306-395
Fall of Western
Empire
Age of Justinian
Islamic Caliphs
Byzantine Dark Age
Triumph of
Christianity
Macedonian Resurgence
Crusades
Restoration and Ottoman Advance
Handouts:
Population
Finances under Justinian
Byzantium c.850A.D.
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MILITARY FORCES OF MIDDLE BYZANTINE STATE
c. 850 A.D.
The imperial army in c. 850 consisted of some 120,00+ combatants, divided
into (1) the mobile tagamatic forces (four elite regiments of cavalry),
various garrison forces and the imperial bodyguard, and (2) the theme or
provincial armies (consisting of cavalry and infantry). Figures for
the fleet are difficult to reckon; at least 350 dromons were available
for immediate action from the imperial fleet stationed at the capital or
in the naval themes.
(a) Forces in Constantinople
Scholae
Excubitores
Vigiles (or Arithmoi)
Hikanatoi
Infantry Units
Wall Garrison
TOTAL: |
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
6,000
2,000
24,000 |
(b) Theme Armies of Anatolia
Anatolikon
Armeniakon
Cappadocia
Charsianon
Cibyrrhaeot (marines)
Thracesion
Opsikion
Optimaton
Buccellarion
Paphlagonia
Chaldia
Seleucia
TOTAL: |
15,000
9,000
4,000
4,000
2,000
6,000
6,000
4,000
8,000
5,000
4,000
7,000
72,000 |
(c) Theme Armies of Europe
Cephallonia
Climata (Crimea)
Dyrrachium
Hellas
Macedonia
Peloponnesus
Sicily (lost 878)
Thessalonica
Thrace
TOTAL: |
2,000
2,000
2,000
2,000
5,000
2,000
2,000
2,000
5,000
24,000
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REVENUES AND BUDGET OF MIDDLE BYZANTINE STATE
| Revenues: |
|
c. 775 A.D. |
c. 850 A.D. |
| Land & Head Taxes |
|
1,600,000 solidi |
2,900,000 solidi |
| Commerce & Other |
|
200,000 solidi |
400,000 solidi |
| |
|
|
|
| Total Revenues |
|
1,800,000 solidi |
3,300,000 solidi |
| |
|
|
|
| Expenditures: |
|
|
|
| Payroll of Army |
|
600,000 solidi |
1,400,000 solidi |
| Other Mil. Costs |
|
600,000 solidi |
800,000 solidi |
| Bureaucracy |
|
400,000 solidi |
500,000 solidi |
| Imperial Largess |
|
100,000 solidi |
100,000 solidi |
| |
|
|
|
| Total Expenditures |
|
1,700,000 solidi |
2,800,000 solidi |
| |
|
|
|
| Surplus Revenue |
|
100,000 solidi |
500,000 solidi |
Based on tax lists, the average total revenues of the Abbasid Caliphs Harun
ar-Raschid (786-809) and al-Mamum (813-833) are estimated as the equivalent
of 33,000,000 and 22,000,000 solidi respectively. Much of this revenue,
however was collected in kind, and it is unclear how much surplus hard
cash was ever available after deductions for fixed expenditures.
Byzantine figures adapted from W. Treadgold, Byzantine State Finances
(New York, 1982), pp. 104-19. For Abbassid revenues, see P. K. Hitti,
A History of the Arabs (9th ed., New York, 1968), p. 321.
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