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Medieval Warfare Magazine – Volume IV Issue 6

Medieval Warfare Magazine Issue IV 6The newest issue of Medieval Warfare was published on December 1st. The theme for this issue is The Loss of Italy: Byzantium vs the Lombards

Article in this issue include:

  • Erich Anderson, ‘Welcome invaders – The Lombards claim Byzantine Italy’.
  • James Gilmer, ‘Maurice’s Strategikon – The Byzantine ‘Art of War’’.
  • Sidney Dean, ‘Opportunity lost – The Byzantine-Frankish counterattack’.
  • Nicola Bergamo, ‘A true enemy – The military campaigns of King Rothari’.
  • Federico Zorzenon, ‘Long-bearded warriors – Heavy infantry, mid-seventh century’.
  • Filippo Donvito, ‘The lure of the West – The Italian campaigns of Constans II (663-668)’.
  • Gabriele Esposito, ‘A people in arms – The Lombard army on the battlefield’.

You can also read other features, such as:

  • Gareth Williams, ‘From cut to thrust – The Hand-and-a-half sword’.
  • Kerry Cathers, ‘Ireland contested – The Battle of Clontarf’.
  • Joanna Arman, ‘God’s warrior? – Philosophy and morality of just war’

Dirk van Gorp, the Editor of Medieval Warfare Magazine, explains that this issue “focuses on a less well-known episode in Byzantine history: the conflict between Byzantines and Lombards in Italy during the sixth-eight centuries. The Byzantine-Lombard Wars may not have been as spectaculair as the Gothic Wars, with several grand battles conducted by famous generals, nor as crucially important for the continued existence of the Byzantine Empire as the wars against the Persians and Arabs. However, it the Lombard-Byzantine conflict was a defining moment in Byzantine history, and especially important for the future of Italy. The wars would not only lead to the end of Byzantine hegomony in Italy, but they also helped in widening the gap between the pope and Catholic Italy on the one hand, and the Emperor and Greek Constantinople on the other, thus paving the way for the emergence of new Romano-German Christian realms in the West. In addition, the conflict witnessed the rise of remarkable military theory, like Maurice’s Strategikon, as well as several defining military innovations, like the Byzantine themata and the gradual evolution towards more cavalry-focused armies due to the wide-spread use of stirrup. Thus, we at Medieval Warfare decided that it was time that our readers would get acquinted with this fascinating period in Byzantine and Italian history.”

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Click here to learn more about articles in the latest issue of Medieval Warfare

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