Mercenaries Byzantine army (Palaiologan era)

catalan troops. 6,500 men went fight basileus in 1303

after constantinople retaken, michael viii army s continuous campaigning in greece ensured nicaean army, offshoot of expensive effective komnenian army remained in play. under andronicus ii however, army reduced destructively low numbers – mercenary troops disbanded save money , lower taxes upon disgruntled population. instead use of poorly equipped , ill-disciplined militia soldiers saw replacement of vitally important expert soldiers. results obvious; byzantine losses in asia minor occurred under andronicus ii.

in 1302 center of military expenditure shifted again towards mercenaries, notably catalan company, after leader murdered company returned thrace , greece overthrew crusader duchy of athens , undermined greek rule on both sides of bosporus empire suffered. so, mercenaries continued used after andronicus ii s reign. ironically andronicus successor s policy of using many foreign fighters worsened byzantium s fortunes in same way andronicus had done disbandment. use of serbs, bulgarians , turks of aydin , of ottomans opened byzantium more foreign incursions. deployment of 20,000 turkish soldiers ottoman realm assist nominal greek ally eased future conquests of area.

since byzantium became increasingly incapable in raising loyal greek army, foreigners such knights of rhodes, venetians, genoans , italians added byzantium s fighting forces. since imperial treasury bankrupt after c 1350, these foreign fighters fought political reasons , in civil wars, rather strengthen byzantium s position.