ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of the infantry arm during this pivotal point in Byzantine military history, from the later phases of the Byzantine-Bulgarian war to Manzikert and beyond. It studies the position of infantry units within the framework of Eastern Roman military organization and the tactical role of foot soldiers in the military operations of the period, comparing it to tenth-century theory and practice. Infantry units of the eleventh-century Byzantine army being quartered throughout the empire casts new light on the issue of determining the place of the taxiarchiai in a thematic context. Narrative and other sources continue to refer to the presence of infantry in Byzantine strongholds throughout the eleventh century, but the texts are not clear as to whether the foot soldiers in a walled town – even if said town was reported to have been under siege at the time – were reinforcements or part of its regular garrison.
