Michael Attaleiates’ Views on Foreigners and Mercenaries in the Byzantine Army.
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2024-05-15
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en
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The thesis analyzes the Byzantine writer Michael Attaleiates' work on his views of foreigners and their role as mercenaries in the Byzantine army, specifically on how differently he viewed the Normans, and contrasts that with his view on other foreigner groups and the views of other contemporary Byzantine authors. The conclusion reached is that his views were created by his personal experiences in which he travelled with them on campaigns, likely dealt with them as a military judge, and came to respect their capabilities a great deal. In his work he displays the Norman leaders as effective and displaying the traits a good leader should have, while he contrasts this with Byzantine leaders, who are ineffective and display negative traits. The Normans as a whole are describes as integrated allies of the Byzantines and their shared traits highlighted rather than othering them as most authors do.
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Faculteit der Letteren