Maurice's Strategikon: Handbook of Byzantine Military Strategy

by Maurice, George T. Dennis (Translator)

As a veteran campaigner, the Byzantine emperor Maurice (582-602) compiled a unique and influential handbook intended for the field commander. In this first complete English translation, the Strategikon is an invaluable source not only for early Byzantine history but for the general history of the art of war. Describing in detail weaponry and armor, daily life on the march or in camp, clothing, food, medical care, military law, and titles of the Byzantine army of the seventh century, the Strategikon offers insights into the Byzantine military ethos. In language contemporary, down-to-earth, and practical, the text also provides important data for the historian, and even the ethnologist, including eyewitness accounts of the Persians, Slavs, Lombards, and Avars at the frontier of the Empire.

Genres: History, Military History, Military Fiction, War, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Greece

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1984

About the author

There are multiple authors who publish or have been published under the name "Maurice".

- The East Roman/Byzantine Emperor Maurice
- Russian to French translator of Bunin
- Indie Self-Help author

Reviews

[Ron Sami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting treatise on military affairs, which stands out for its detailed narrative.

Plot. Rating 5
The plot of the book can be imagined as a sequential study of various military affairs. I liked that the author, perhaps it was the emperor Maurice, set out everything very meticulously and scrupulously. For example, in addition to many topics, the book contains a detailed description of the tactical disposition of troops down to small units. After this, several more chapters deal with the various formations of the Byzantine army and their application in battle.
Large chapters tell in detail about the troops of the enemies of Byzantium and how to wage war with them.
The repetitions that are in the text did not manage to reduce the score in this paragraph.

Characters. Rating 4
Sadly, there are no characters in the book. I managed to get out of this unexpected difficulty thanks to the author, who quite subtly distributes subordinate warriors to various positions, based on their personality traits. Also in various places of the treatise there are wishes for the necessary personality traits of the commander.

Dialogues. Rating 4
There are no dialogues in the book either. Fortunately, it contains orders for the formations of warriors, which can be thought of as the beginning of a dialogue, although the executors of orders are unlikely to risk answering them. This slightly underdeveloped dialogue should definitely get a good rating.

Writing style. Rating 5
The treatise was written for the author's contemporaries, so some passages may not be clear. However, in general, the style of writing is dense and clear.

Worldbuilding. Rating 6
It's incredibly detailed. The enumeration will take up a lot of space - just look at the table of contents of the book. Many table of contents items are quite large and cover related topics. The book has a lot of practical advice that is rare and not obvious. For example, the author advises against issuing a war cry when directly approaching the enemy, based on the psychology of warriors and the behavior of horses. Or a detailed description of ambush pits, or building a bridge across a river in the face of enemy opposition.

Conclusion. Overall rating 5
This magnificent book is clearly written by a wise and experienced general.

[James Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book IMHO surpasses "The Art of War" because it's clear and concise. There's no guessing about vague terms like "form and formlessness".

The warfare of the Eastern Roman Empire shifted dramatically from the older, famous Roman infantry model to a unique cavalry model that was swift without sacrificing long-range firepower and close combat strength. Written about 600 A.D. by the best military mind of the era (and ascribed to the Emperor Maurice), it served as a template that guided East Roman military successes for about 300 years until the ideas started to be supplanted by internal turmoil and politicking, leading to the Empire's increasing inability to withstand the Islamic invasions.

Core ideas during the long descent to the final destruction of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453. were forgotten until the advent of modern tank warfare in the hands of brilliant minds like Rommel in WW II. The ideas of speed, power, agility, and adaptability have been re-discovered. Morale, leadership, logistics, deception, reconnaissance, etc. are all touched on in this forgotten classic.

Note: After the Roman Empire was split in 286, the eastern half continued for almost 1,200 more years. Though Greek gradually replaced Latin as the official language, the people continued to refer to themselves as Romans. The term "Byzantine Empire" is a name coined in the 1800's for the Eastern Roman Empire.

[Douglas Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It turns out that there is a sort of missing scene in Roman military history. At the end of the 4th century, the Romans still had the legendary legion at the heart of their military might. Foot soldiers in gleaming scale with tower shields and short spears and swords dominated the battlefield.

Fast forward to the early days of the 5th century and everything has changed. Cavalry equipped with stirrups are now the kings of the battlefield, with infantry serving a supporting role. How this change happened, and its evolution, are kind of a mystery. But how that new army fought is perfectly clear thanks to Emperor Maurice and his Strategikon. Maurice (539 – 27 November 602) was a very successful general before ascending to the throne in 582. The earliest known copies of the Strategikon date from 605, so it's possible that he wrote it, or ordered it written, and we only have later copies.

What is it? It's a Field Manual. It is literally how to train, equip, move, encamp, and fight a Byzantine army. There are chapters on choosing officers, how the army is organized, military law (some of which I recognized as still being part of the UCMJ,) scouts, spies, medics (who also are responsible for looting enemy bodies and turning over the spoils to their commander,) baggage trains, sieges, provisioning. . even how to cross a river in enemy-territory, something else that took me back to my days in the infantry. They used the same damn process!

Also included is a long list of maxims for the commanding general. All very good advice.

But what really got me were the diagrams of how to organize the army, from each tagma, or company, all the way up to a full army lined up for battle. Though the symbols are a little hard to make out at times, you really visualize how this army of cavalry, clad in mail, with bows and lances, would have looked as they moved.

This is a great book for anyone interested in military history.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An admirable mixture of the theoretical and the practical, with everything from imperial policy on the width of streets in camp and the spacing of formations or the best methods of concealing one’s numbers to general tactical maxims and principles of leadership. Better than Sun Tzu.

[Tony Schwocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book, I can confidently say that I'm incapable of leading a Roman army in the late 6th and early 7th centuries. Emperor Maurice would be ashamed.

[Jack Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational, but was a tough read and confusing at times.

[Anubis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book/manual.

Mostly agreed it's been written by the Emperor Maurice or at least in his court, the Strategikon is a really important historical document.

It is hard to rate books such as this. I'm not sure how much practical value would this have for me if i were a 6th century Roman General, but then again, it is highly possible that just by reading this a general could avoid a lot of issues.

It covers everything from tactics to training and how to boost morale. Really interesting perspective on the 6th century Roman world.

[Flavio Verna · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the Strategikon has no shortage of military tips and basic technical knowledge necessary to run an army, what I've found this book most interesting for was the insight it provides on the Byzantine mentality of saving and strict pragmatism, which had been forced on the Empire by the uphill battle it was stuck into for the majority of its entire history after the fall of its Western counterpart.

Unlike some other books of strategy (*ahem* Sun Tsu), it doesn't waste time with vague, catch-it-all statements about what a military commander should do in general; instead, it focuses specifically on equipment, environment, troop assignment, chain of command, how one should deal with specific kinds of enemies (from uncivilized barbarians to well-equipped rival empires), and how one should deal with specific kinds of troops.

Overall, a very interesting read.

[Hüseyin Çötel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Altin degerinde eser. 6.yuzyilda incelikle yazilan bir seyi okumak buyuk bir zevk. Ozellikle 8.kitaptaki generale 101 tavsiye ve 11.kitaptaki irklarin kendilerine gore savas stratejisi, guclu ve zayif yanlarini anlattigi kisimlar essizdi. Turkler in 1500 yil once de marifetsiz ama savas sirasinda cesur olarak tanindigini gorduk. 800 yil sonra beceriksiz buldugu ve hileyle ve pusularla kolayca alt edilebilcek olarak gordugu irk tarafindan tarihteki seruvenine son verilmesi de kaderin bir oyunu diyelim. Bu tarz eski ve zamani asabilmis eserlerin cok daha bilgelik icerdigi kanisindayim. Bakalim savas sanati nasil olacak.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at a military manual at the moment of transition from 'Roman' to 'Byzantine', complete with inclusions for other manuals, as well as detailed 'new' material on new and threatening ethnicities and tactics. This is an accessible edition, with a good translation. I'd have preferred a facing page Greek, but hey...

[Diarmuid Angland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ‘how to’ guide for a general on campaign, this manual was an extraordinary insight into the military of the Eastern Romans Empire which contrasts sharply with the old legions of Rome. The new importance of cavalry and the insights given to logistics, scouting and physiological manipulation of the enemies are excellent.

[Ivan Savić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. You really get the picture how ancient armies were managed. I enjoyed it and learn a lot.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book for a select audience. Those are interested in Byzantine military matters will find it very useful. All sorts of things from the use of hunting as training for war, to what to do with your baggage train, to why you should always have a reserve, to discussions of various foes and what tactics to use with each.

[Denis Vasilev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Любопытный труд по военной тактике и стратегии Восточной Римской империи, практично.

[Antxon Maguregui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un tratado militar del imperio bizantino, de finales del s.VI dC
Es un tratado muy completo que incluye tácticas, máximas, análisis de los enemigos más frecuentes de la época.
Un volumen muy completo que toca todos los aspectos, desde la forma de equipar a la tropa hasta la relización de incursiones, nocturnas, destacando la creciente importancia de la caballería. También es de destacar la adopción de equipo y tácticas usadas contra ellos, como la emboscada escita o la espada hérula.
Resulta inevitable una comparación entre este tratado y el famos "Arte de la guerra" de Sun Tzu. Ambos tratados tienen en común la necesidada de tener una mente flexible y adaptativa, la superioridad de la táctica sobre la batalla campal, y una planificación concienzuda.
Dicho esto, presentan también diferencias, fruto de la diferencia temporal y contextual.
El clásico chino parte de la máxima "es mejor ganar sin luchar" (o "es mejor solucionar un problema antes de que surja"). A partir de esta tesis, elabora un paradigma que divide el conflicto en varias fases: resolver el problema antes de que surja, aislar al enemigo (guerra de alianzas),atacarlo , y por último, asediarlo.
Las medidas más importantes son la prevención, la elección de subordimados, la obtención de información mediante el espionaje, los análisis comparativos entre tus fuerzas y las de tu enemigo y la adaptación a una serie de factores cambiantes.
Para buscar el fin de someter al enemigo sin luchar, destaca la idea de no tener una forma fija, de ir cambiando de patrón, de engañar al enemigo, de adaptarte al medio y al enemigo cambiante.
Pero la mayor diferenciación es la firma en la que está escrito. Consta de 13 capítulos estructurados temáticamente y compuestos por una serie de citas de Sun Tzu. Las citas enuncian ideas abstractas y por lo tanto universalizables.
El tratado bizantino es distinto. Como he escrito más arriba, los asuntos son similares a los del Sun Tzu: equipo y entrenamiento, formaciones, asedios, obtención de información, medidas de prevención, adaptación, y sobre todo análisis. Es en este punto donde está la diferencia fundamental.
El Strategikon está estructuado en 12 libros (libro como unidad temática, como los 9 libros de la historia de Herodoto, etc.), cada uno con su correspondiente tema (incluso hay un libro de máximas), y a su vez dividido cada uno en capítulos. En lugar de una serie de citas abstractas y medidas generales, cada capítulo es un análisis mucho más profundo y detallado de un aspecto concreto. Aunque defiende la idea de que es mejor ganar sin luchar mediante el engaño y maniobras, no comparte las fases escalonadas de Sun Tzu.
El clásico chino tiene más actualidad, porque sus máximas abstractas, al no descender a loa detalles, permite una reinterpretación continua de cara a las circunstancias, la famosa adaptación. En cambio, el tratado bizantino llega más al detalle, lo que lo liga más a su época, lo que le otorga un valor histórico muy alto.
En resumen, el Sun Tzu es una pbra filosófica cuyos principios son más o menos aplicables a una serie de ámbitos: los conflictos humanos. En cambio, el Strategikon es una manual instrumental para el mando militar bizantino de finales del siglo VI.

[Cemal Duman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is suggested by my professor during my MBA Studies. While i was reading i did not understand and i thought it was just an esoteric suggestion. Years later i realize I have applied some concepts in my life in different sense. This year i read it again now i am sure it was an esoteric suggestion

[sologdin · Rating 2 out of 5]

distillation of eastern roman military concepts. best bits are the military anthropology sections on the byzantine rogues gallery of germanics, turks, slavs, and other steppe nomadic pastoralists.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Josiah]

Loved this.