ABSTRACT

The study of logistics and resource-management has been until very recently, andwith very few exceptions, one of the most neglected areas of historical study, whether for the Byzantine or any other pre-modern state formation.1 Yet it has always been recognized that the outcome of armed conflict is rarely, if ever, determined by the quality of the soldiers and their leaders alone – the degree and nature of the support which makes fighting between relatively complex social-political organizations possible in the first place is crucial. By medieval standards, the East Roman empire up to the twelfth century was well served by an efficient – indeed, ruthless – fiscal and logistical system which maximized the often limited resources at the state’s disposal. In many instances, this gave Byzantine armies a material and psychological advantage which often meant the difference between success and failure. It certainly facilitated the survival of both the military and civil administration of the empire in times of adversity.