ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to develop an understanding of the practical side of the conducting of military operations by emperors, drawing primarily on Middle Byzantine texts. It shows that there were strong ideals about the duties of the emperor in warfare, and that emperors were assessed according to their perceived performance of these roles. The military role of the Byzantine emperor was a highly important aspect of the duties expected of him, as the ruler of the Roman empire following in the footsteps of such distinguished ancestors as Augustus, Trajan and Diocletian. As Byzantium was the continuation of the Roman empire, the military role of the emperor was strongly enshrined in its political and cultural traditions. The role of the emperor as war leader and commanding general can be investigated through close analysis of the narrative sources and to some extent the tactical manuals, which describe his activities when conducting military operations.
