| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: The article offers a detailed overview of the defense system that the Byzantines established along their Balkan borders in order to repulse attacks by Tsar Samuel and his successors. The time period under discussion extends from the reign of Basil II until the end of the XIth century and includes arguments for structural changes. Such an undertaking would have been nearly impossible without the recovery of seals during the past decades since the literary sources offer only limited information. But now we can offer new insights. We lay special emphasis on the date when the important military commands were established (or re-established) under a strategos, then a katepano or doux, and when new themes under a strategos, those not yet present in the Taktikon Escorial - were organized. |
