| Popis: |
This article examines the use of indigenous armed forces by the Latin conquerors of Constantinople, Thessaloniki and the Morea from 1204 to 1306. This is an aspect which has in general been neglected by the scholars studying the Frankokratia in Byzantium. The sources reveal a multitude of national varieties of such forces, namely Greeks, Armenians, Turks, Slavs, Vlachs and Tourkopouloi as well as half casts (such as the Gasmouloi), but also specific or specialized groups such as the thelematarioi and the Varangoi, while also illustrating the use of local criminals and bandits. The article is strictly based on what the medieval sources reveal about their use, the eventual circumstances and the context. The article puts this information in the context of the legal framework of the Latin Empire of Constantinople and the Principality of Achaia (Morea). |
