Units of History - The Varangian Guard DOCUMENTARY

In the year 989 AD, Basil II, Emperor of the Romans, sat uneasily on his throne. His realm was splintered between numerous factions, all fighting to be recognized as the true heir of Rome. Constantinople itself was under threat and all hope seemed lost. Yet in his darkest hour, the beleaguered ruler would be saved by a fleet rowing down from the north. Aboard were 6,000 veteran mercenaries sent south by Prince Vladimir of Kiev. Their arrival would mark the beginning of a legendary legacy. Now, Basil and these new allies descended upon the rebel forces with vengeful fury. In a single night of blood and fire, the back of the rebellion would be broken and within a month, the rest of the resistance was crushed. From the ashes of war would rise a newly invigorated Byzantine Empire, strengthened by axe-wielding giants that, from now on, would come to form the core of its formidable military. These were the Varangian Guard, stalwart defenders of the imperial throne, whose watch would last over 400 years. You can learn much more about the life of ancient Scandinavians with the documentary Vikings, Merchants, and Explorers, available for streaming now through our sponsor MagellanTV. As a part of the Ascent of Civilization series, it does a great job bringing to life both the individual and macro stories of the medieval northmen by using a mix of animation, archaeological site visits, and historical reenactment. Through it, you will get a much better sense of the environment which forged the Varangian Guard, and what their journey to Constantinople would have been like. History videos like this are added weekly to MagellanTV, which already has a collection of over 3,000 videos to choose from among the categories of history, science, nature, space, and more. There, you can watch Vikings, Merchants, and Explorers, or any documentary that catches your interest, by clicking the link in the description below or going to try.magellantv.com From now until the end of 2021, viewers can also take advantage of a special holiday offer. Buy one, get one free gift card for an annual membership by clicking the link in the description. Enjoy! However, as the centuries rolled by, internal and external factors made it increasingly difficult to hold it all together. In 293 AD, Emperor Diocletian would seek to stabilize the realms by means of a power-sharing agreement, whereby a pair of senior and junior emperors ruled the east and west. While this exact arrangement would not last long, the concept of a formally divided realm would. Each side would have an entwined history, sharing many cultural features and both identifying as Roman. However, now their fates were no longer locked together. It is this fact which allowed the east to carry on the torch of Rome long after the west had fallen in the late 5th century AD. Known today as the Byzantine Empire, they were the culmination of a thousand years of history that would persevere for a thousand more. There were many factors which contributed to its success, ranging from the economic to the geopolitical. However, as one might imagine, its military might was one of the major keys to its success. Long gone was the Roman army of old. While it had proved ideally suited for conquering the Mediterranean, the nature of warfare shifted over the years, forcing it to evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of the empire. By the 10th century AD, the Byzantine army had adopted a new system that will be worth explaining. It was made of several elements which worked together as a well-oiled machine. Perhaps the largest groups were the thematic armies. These were composed of men who had been given land by the empire in return for a military obligation to bear arms or pay extra taxes in war. Both thematic infantry and cavalry units existed, with a range in quality that should be expected from such provincial levied forces. While not the best of the best, they were nonetheless sturdy and useful troops which could be raised in a flexible, though usually defensive, manner as the need arose. At the other end of the spectrum were the professional standing soldiers. Though fewer in number, they were the formidable corps around which the rest of the Byzantine army was deployed. Among their order were many elite guard regiments of both mounted and foot troops who could trace their origins back to the Roman army of old. Increasingly, however, mercenaries were being used to bolster their ranks. These came in all sorts of forms, as the rulers of Constantinople were always looking for ways to use their vast wealth to acquire military talent wherever they could find it. Such mercenaries were grouped together in an umbrella organization known as hetiri, and were akin to a foreign legion. They were typically obtained in bulk through direct treaties between the reigning emperor and neighboring rulers. In addition, their pay came from the emperor himself, rather than the imperial treasury. As private hires, they were therefore technically a separate part of the army, which was, regardless of ethnicity or origin, always tied to the imperial bodyguard. Such an arrangement was by design, as it ensured that the men entrusted with the monarch's safety were the ones who were directly tied to his own coin. Over the years, all kinds of mercenaries would be employed by the Byzantine emperors. However, the most famous of these were the Varangian guards, which shall be the main subject of our video today. But just how did these men of the north come to find themselves in such a position? The answer is that they followed the same path as most other mercenaries of the hetiri, through treaties. But such deals don't just come out of nowhere. It turns out that the rulers of Constantinople had a long history of interactions with the men of the north. In fact, this dated back to the early days of antiquity, when goods like amber, fur, and livestock poured into the Mediterranean from Scandinavia by way of the eastern European rivers that flowed into the Black Sea. The Byzantines made sure to keep a watchful eye on this frontier, involving themselves in the politics of the interior, to ensure that trade continued to flow and to ward off potential attacks. In this last regard, though, they were not always successful. We have records of many raids issuing from the Black Sea and making ever more daring assaults across the wealthy lands of the south. This, in part, seems to have been a result of the rise of the Rus. They were a Norse people, who had settled along the north-south merchant routes, assimilating with the Slavs of modern Ukraine and Eastern Europe. As ancestral traders and Vikings, they quickly came to dominate the region's economic activity and proved quite disruptive to the steppe politics of the area. Thus, the Byzantines were forced to factor them into the foreign policy calculus on this frontier. Over the 9th to 10th centuries, a series of treaties would be signed between the Rus and the Byzantines as both sides sized each other up. For instance, fighting between the two seems to have resulted in an 874 treaty, which obliged the Rus to provide men for Byzantine service. A few years later, a 907 treaty appears to have negotiated merchant rights, while the more substantive treaty of 911 expands talks to include matters of maritime trade, colonial rights and mercenary service. This would be the seed for the Varangian Guard. At first, men came down from the north in dribs and drabs, finding employ in the Hetiri, as individuals or small groups. Supposedly, around 700 of them served as marines in a naval expedition against Crete, while around 400 joined the Byzantines for Italian expedition. However, it would be in the year 988 when they finally came in full force. This occurred when Emperor Basil II requested military assistance from Vladimir I of Kiev, in accordance with a prior agreement established following the Byzantine victory at the siege of Dorostolon. Now, Vladimir would send 6,000 warriors, supposedly his most unruly men, to bolster the forces of the emperor. In exchange, the Kievan prince was given Basil's sister in marriage while agreeing to convert and bring his people to the Christian faith. The Varangians would be exactly what Basil needed. Not just an elite corps of veteran warriors with which to smite his enemies in the field, but also a trustworthy force who would watch his back 24-7 in the dangerous world of shifting loyalties that was the Byzantine Empire. The Varangian Guard had just been born. Let us now trace how one would become a Varangian guardsman. For starters, all came from the far-off lands to the north. While in reality, they belonged to a variety of different communities, the Byzantines often lumped them all together as Varangians, a name whose etymology can be traced back to the Old Norse root of something like sworn companion. These lands far beyond the Mediterranean were poorly understood, often being described as a sort of semi-mythical land of barbarians. But the mystery worked both ways. The medieval Scandinavians too were only dimly aware of what lay to the distant south. What they did hear were rumors and stories which circulated back up the merchant routes. These spoke of a far-off land, known to them as Mykligard, where one could find a city of immeasurable wealth, songs and sagas told of how its very rivers ran with gold. Such fanciful tales were common at the time and surely there were skeptics. At first, only the most adventurous or desperate may have gone. Their gamble, though, was richly rewarded with fortune beyond anything they had seen in their lives. The greatest among them returned from the land of the Romans with enough wealth and prestige to forge kingdoms and inspire the Skalds for hundreds of years. For instance, while serving as a Varangian guard, Harald Hardrada would become one of the wealthiest Scandinavians of his age, eventually using his vast treasures to take over the throne of Norway, unifying the nation and inspiring legends that would be told for centuries. I'll now quote a few lines from his saga. Bleak gales lashed prowls hard along the shoreline. Iron-shielded, our ships rode proud to harbour. Of Miklagard our famous prince first saw the golden gables. Many a sea-ship, fine arrayed, swept toward the high-walled city. This sort of tale proved infectious. Soon people from all walks of life were making their way south to strike it rich. This proved so destabilizing to the culture that laws had to be passed to deal with the implications of the gold rush. For instance, we have evidence of prohibitions being made to keep men who were actively serving in Greece from inheriting property back home. Traditionally, a prospective Varangian would travel with the great trading fleets that sailed south from the city of Novgorod. They would sail down the river Lovat and portage their longships overland to the Dnieper before making the journey down to Kiev. From there they braved the seven cataracts and sailed south across the Black Sea. Finally, they would arrive at the city of Constantinople and behold the majesty of a capital they had dreamed of for months. These men typically came in groups with their own commanders and would remain with their units once they were taken into service. Harold Hadrada, for instance, brought his own contingent of 500 Varangians, which remained a discreet mercenary company until they were formally integrated into the Byzantine army. The exact way in which a particular group of northmen was employed would vary. Generally, though, this would take three forms as the sailing Varangians, the mercenary Varangians, or the Varangians of the city. The sailing Varangians essentially functioned as coast guard privateers. They manned their own light, fast vessels which patrolled the sea lanes, protecting them from pirates. In exchange for this service, they were allowed to keep whatever plunder was gathered from a defeated ship, with only a token tithe being owed to the emperor. The Varangian mercenaries acted as a part of the wider mercenary groups of the Hatiri we previously mentioned. As such, they were used as garrison groups or standing forces and were always sent wherever fighting was fiercest or territory was most contested. These Varangians were renowned for their absolute loyalty and, unlike standard troops, could be relied on to never betray their city or army. They had the most possibilities for plunder and profit of any unit in the Byzantine military, being given the right to be the first ones to any conquered city. The final form of employment and the most prestigious was the group referred to as the Varangians of the city, whom we now know today as the Varangian Guard. Alongside all of the privileges given to the other, lower-tier Varangians, these men were showered in even more gold. The average Varangian of the city was paid anywhere from 30 to 40 gold nomis mater a month, about 30 to 40 times the average pay of an unskilled worker. The Guard as a whole also received one-third of the total loot taken in battle, with the other two-thirds going to the emperor and the rest of the army. Whenever a new emperor took the throne, in addition to the bonus that every new emperor paid to all standing military units, it was traditional for the Varangians to raid the previous emperor's private quarters and take as much as they could carry. All in all, it was a Viking's dream job. Because of all this, positions in the Varangian Guard were highly sought after and very competitive. Only those of sufficient reputation, connections, and wealth could rise to the top. The few who made it into their ranks were intensely protective of their position, making them unshakably loyal to their unit and the emperor. Let us now take a closer look at the fearsome disposition of these warriors. The ancient historian Michael Psalos describes them in the following manner, Next to them stood men from the foreign mercenaries, Tauroscythians, terrible of aspect and huge of body. The soldiers were blue-eyed and kept their natural complexion. The Varangians fight like madmen, as if ablaze with wrath. Their arms, shoulders, and faces were also reported to be tattooed, a custom taken from the Turks. As for their equipment, when an adventurer headed south to the land of the Greeks, he would generally bring with him the gear of his native land. For defense, this meant donning pants, a shirt, mail armor, a nasal helmet, and a Norse-style shield. For offense, they might have a spear, axe, or sword. One traditional weapon which had a fearsome reputation were the massive two-handed battle-axes. Yet, as they adjusted to work under Byzantine employ, and subsequently moved up the ranks, they would usually adopt new gear. This was made possible by their newfound wealth in addition to their access to superior armories, which could be found in and around Constantinople. When it came to defense, it seems that simple chain shirts were now traded in for longer pieces, which covered more of the body and even rose to cover their faces. Over this was worn additional lamellar armor and ornate helmets, as well as arm and shin guards. Such was the increased weight of all this material that warriors often wore what is known as the leather Varangian bra for support. But that wasn't all. They also wielded larger, more elaborately decorated shields, with many guards adopting the great kite design of the Byzantines, which put to shame their old Nordic hand-me-downs. In terms of offense, the Varangians seemed to have remained relatively faithful to their heritage, though often weapons were upgraded with precious metal. For instance, while a warrior might hold on to his great axe, he would probably also have acquired a more lavish Greek sword as a sidearm or backup. One item, which seems to have been quite popular though, was the harom fire, a distinctly Byzantine weapon descended from the ancient phalx. It was alternately described as a polearm, tipped with a long, concave, curved blade, or a sword about a meter long with a single-edge curved blade. Such was its prominence among the Varangians of the city that it became known as the symbol of the emperor's bodyguard. All in all, it can be said that just looking at these hulking, bejeweled warriors would put fear into the heart of any man who faced them. This would only have been enhanced by stories of their mysterious Gothic dance, which reportedly featured Varangians performing a ritual in animal skins and masks while chanting and clashing weapons against shields. Now, let us turn to a discussion of how they were put to use by the emperors. As we mentioned previously, the Varangians were a part of the Hetiri Corps of the Byzantine army. Its organization is poorly understood. Some sources from the Middle Period mention the Hetiri as being composed of three or four units, which were further broken down into companies. Altogether, some historians have estimated their strength at around 1 to 2,000. However, this would all have changed with the arrival of the Varangians in the 10th century and the reforms of the Komnenos dynasty of the 11th century. When these get mentioned by our sources, it's all done in a rather eclectic manner. Mentions vary from a few hundred guardsmen holding the capital to a few thousand marching on campaign with not much context. As such, it is quite hard to reconstruct the organization of the Varangian Guard. Likely, it was made up of several sub-units with various ranks of officers. What these were remains a mystery and probably changed over time. We do, however, know a bit about their top commander, known as the Archeluthos or the man just behind the emperor. He was a figure of extremely high importance. In fact, it was said that when the emperor was away, he was the one entrusted with the keys to Constantinople. Initially, the Archeluthos seems to have commanded the entire Aetiri. Later, he would exclusively lead the Varangians of the city. Eventually, however, the position would fall from grace following the sack of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade, being demoted to the 50th man in line behind the emperor. Let us now turn to the duties of the rank-and-file members. The Varangians were quartered across the city of Constantinople. Their primary residences included the following, the old barracks of the excubitores, the special Varangian district around the port of Marmas, and the area around Galata Tower across the Golden Horn. They even had their own church dedicated to Saint Olaf Haraldsson, the half-brother of Harald Hardrada, and the Virgin Mary, named Our Lady of the Varangians, not far from the Hagia Sophia. As for their daily activities, technically speaking they did a bit of everything, functioning as a useful source of manpower for the emperor to use as he saw fit. That being said, we can generalize their activities based on the scope of each type of Varangian unit. For instance, the members of the sailing Varangians were often seen putting their nautical heritage to good use, hunting pirates through the Aegean and along the Anatolian coast. The Varangian mercenaries, meanwhile, could be seen posted up in the various important garrisons of the empire or serving as core shock troops for the army in the field. At times, they might even be given command of regular units for special missions, as was the case of one Ragenwald, who was active in Greece. And finally, the Varangians of the city acted as a hybrid bodyguard or police force within Constantinople itself. Wherever the emperor went, these hulking warriors would be there to act as the lictors of ancient Rome, clearing a path through crowds with whips and attending all important ceremonies of state alongside their master. Guardsmen also saw to the security of imperial property and the city's great churches. This could be a quite monotonous job for such warriors, and it's no surprise that one of them, a man by the name of Halfdan, ended up etching out a bit of graffiti on the second floor of the Hagia Sophia, which can still be seen to this day. Perhaps a more exciting assignment, though, would be their patrols of the city. Here, the Varangian guards had a chance to flex their might, busting up rioteers, enforcing laws and arresting high-profile targets who might otherwise be able to turn aside less loyal troops. They also served as jailers and torturers in the infamous Numara prison. Apparently, they made quite the impression with the Byzantine poets depicting screaming Varangians as demons in their descriptions of hell. For example, Michael Glycus wrote these lines of a poem based on his experiences. Quote, Hades I call the Numara, but even worse than Hades are the shouting Varangoi and terrors which keep you awake. When they weren't on the battlefield or terrorizing the locals, the Varangians were known as the emperor's wineskins. They were reputed to have a great love for Greek women and an even greater love for Greek wine. Their drunkenness is well documented with two separate instances of drunk Varangians even attacking emperors, Nikephoros III and Michael IV. They were regular spectators at the infamous Byzantine chariot races and frequently participated in the brawls that accompanied such events. Thus, we see that within but a few decades of their arrival, the Varangians had become just another part of the vivid social tapestry that was life in Byzantine Constantinople. Now, let us consider how they were also woven into the military history of the empire. We will start with a generalized description of their use. On the battlefield, they functioned primarily as heavy infantry arrayed in a dense formation. A commander might choose to deploy them aggressively as shock troops meant to break through enemy lines or fortified positions. Alternatively, they might be held back in defense, ready to plug any holes in the front line or to defend the emperor in the event of a retreat. In either case, they excelled as elite troops. Yet, the Varangians were not limited to such basic tactics. More skilled commanders combined them with other forces like horse archers to brutal effect. Working together, the paired units could mutually support one another and take on all kinds of foes who might otherwise be able to defeat them individually. Even more tactics were possible. To get a sense of this, let's explore their track record over the years. Unfortunately, in this regard, it is actually quite difficult to piece together a detailed service history. We know that they played a core role in the army, but our sources seem to take this fact for granted, rarely giving us explicit confirmation of their deployment or their actions in battle. As such, I'd like to give you a brief overview of the sorts of campaigns they likely may have been part of during their lifespan with a few specifics thrown in when they are available. We can pick up the narrative with the original 6,000 Varangians sent to assist Basil II in 989 AD. Their arrival proved fortuitous, significantly bolstering his forces which now set out to take on the pretender focus in Asia. The rival's head was cut off and his army turned to flight with the Varangians reportedly hacking the enemy to pieces with glee. With the rebellion soon stamped out, the emperor would next turn his attention to external foes, embarking on a whirlwind series of campaigns led in person, which likely meant that the Varangians were right there at his side. In 995 and 999, the Byzantines counter-punched against the Fatahmid incursions in Syria, fighting a series of raids, battles, and sieges to restore the safety of the eastern borders. Now, Basil would turn west. He directed his attention against the Bolgar Empire, which had previously bested the Byzantines, dangerously expanding their influence in the region. However, armed with the Varangians, things would be different. For nearly 10 years, repeated bloody campaigns would be launched against the Bulgars, slowly grinding down their fortresses and their armies. The struggle climaxed in 1014 at the Battle of Clydon. Here, Byzantine forces hammered the front of a heavily fortified valley pass, finally breaking through when troops were maneuvered over rough terrain to threaten the enemy's rear. In the aftermath, it was said that Bulgarian prisoners were divided into groups of 100, 99 of them being blinded, with the remaining one guiding them back home. This ultimately precipitated the end of the war. The Byzantines now claimed dominion over these lands, with Basil earning the name the Bulgar Slayer. It had been a brutal affair, in which the ferocity of the Varangians must have been greatly appreciated. But the fighting did not end there. Basil and his guard next campaigned in Crimea, Georgia, and Armenia. Varangians were even sent as far as Italy to fight the Lombards, where they proved victorious at the Battle of Cannae in 1018. Such was the scale of Basil's military campaigning that by his death in 1025, the Byzantine Empire would reach its greatest territorial heights in the Middle Ages. According to the ancient historian Psalos, he crushed rebellions, subdued the feudal landowners, conquered the enemies of the empire, the treasury was overflowing with the accumulated plunder of Basil's campaigns. Everywhere the might of Roman arms was respected and feared. Though they get no official credit, it's safe to say that the Varangians had a large hand to play in this triumph. The successors of Basil, however, struggled to match his achievements. More wars were launched across the various frontiers, which kept the Varangians busy, but, by and large, the Byzantine military machine was slowing down. The empire was struggling both economically and politically, which led to military cuts that only further accelerated its decline in the face of new, emerging threats. Amid all this, the Varangians stood firmly at their posts. They held true to their oaths of loyalty, but at times did have to pick a side when things got messy. For instance, when the deeply unpopular emperor Michael V attempted to assassinate the Patriarch and purge members of the Macedonian dynasty, he would be removed from the throne by a revolt in 1042. Legend tells that the Varangian guardsman Harald Hardrada dragged Michael from his sanctuary, blinding and castrating the ex-emperor before banishing him into exile. Thereafter, a series of rather ineffectual rulers led the Byzantine empire, further overseeing its decline. This poor state of affairs was made evident at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Here, the Byzantines were drawn in and surrounded by the Turks, who ultimately broke them when the Western forces attempted a controlled retreat. In this fight, the professional core of the army, and the Varangians in particular, stood steadfast by the emperor. However, their enveloped position was untenable. One by one, they were picked off. All would be massacred. In the aftermath, civil war wreaked further havoc among the Byzantines, who were sent into a precipitous decline. Yet complete disaster would be averted by the valiant efforts of the Komnenian dynasty. The army and the Varangians would slowly be rebuilt. Apparently, it's around this time that the guard increasingly became dominated by Anglo-Saxons, who had been displaced by the Norman conquests of England. One source even claims that some 5,000 of them arrived at one time. Clearly, so long as there was money to be had in Miklagard, the Varangians would endure. They would now be put to use in the various campaigns of Emperor Alexios Komnenos. For instance, in 1081, they would find themselves near the city of Dyrrhachium, facing off against a Norman invasion force under Robert Huiscard. Here, they would be placed in the vanguard alongside a force of mercenary horse archers called the Vardariate. The imperial battle plan was simple and effective. The Varangians would open ranks and allow the horse archers to skirmish back and forth. When the Normans had been sufficiently bloodied, then the Varangians, along with the rest of the army, would charge and break the spine of the enemy host. Initially, the plan seems to have worked. The Norman line wavered in its initial skirmishes, their left even breaking when met with more sustained contact. Seeing this, the Varangians charged, thirsting for blood and battle. The Normans crumbled before the onslaught. Men and horses panicked before these giant men with their massive axes, who slaughtered everything in sight. Unfortunately, they had cut too deeply, isolating themselves from the rest of the army. The Normans capitalized on this, quickly swarming in with the spearmen to hold them in position and crossbowmen to whittle them down. The Varangians realized they had to play for time and made a stand within the church of Michael the Archangel, atop a nearby hill. Unfortunately for them, no help would be coming. The Byzantine flanks had both over-pursued, leaving the center completely exposed to a devastating countercharge by the Norman knights and their elite forces. The Byzantine army was shattered, the emperor even being wounded but managing to escape. Now, the Normans could turn their full might upon the stranded Varangians. The guard made a heroic last stand, with the survivors pulling back within the church itself. However, no mercy would be shown. Fire was rained upon the house of God, burying the Varangians in burning timbers. But that was not the end of the Northmen. Like phoenixes, they arose from the ashes once more. Over the following centuries, they would serve the emperors faithfully through thick and thin. Among the new threats they were forced to deal with were the various crusades launched by Western European powers against the East. Initially, these seemed to be a welcome source of relief, helping to push back the Seljuks and bringing in new sources of manpower that replenished the guard and other units. This gave the Byzantines enough breathing room to push back other threats such as the invading Pechenegs. At the Battle of Boroea in 1122, the Varangians proved key in the final action that punched through the enemy wagon fort, collapsing the enemy center entirely and leading to victory. However, fresh waves of crusaders complicated the geopolitics of the region. At first, they formed a tenuous alliance with Constantinople, sometimes teaming up for joint campaigns that may have seen the Varangians deployed as far away as Egypt. Eventually though, weak Byzantine rulers could no longer master the situation. Cooperation turned to competition among allies and enemies were emboldened. The Fourth Crusade would actually end up seeing Christian forces besiege and sack Constantinople in 1204. It was reported that the Varangians fought bravely atop the walls with axe and sword before finally being overwhelmed. The last mention of the Varangian Guard appears in the Chronicle of the Moria which states that they served to provide escort duty in 1259 for the Empire of Nicaea, one of the three major fragments of the Byzantine Empire which had been created following the sack of Constantinople. Following this, our sources go silent on their ultimate fate. Perhaps they lingered a few more decades, slowly fading away into memory alongside the Byzantine Empire they had served faithfully for nearly 400 years. We hope you've enjoyed this deep dive into one of the most famous units of history. The artists and editors poured their sweat and passion into this episode and it truly shows. They've also produced some awesome Varangian Guard designs for the store. All proceeds go to the creative team so please consider a purchase as it helps fuel their continued work on these sorts of episodes. Also, let them know what kinds of designs you'd like to see. 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