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Ah, got it, i thoght he was talking of breeding Varangians in Constantinople:D :D :D
 
Originally posted by MRAKoris
Ah, got it, i thoght he was talking of breeding Varangians in Constantinople:D :D :D

Actually i believe the "Varangian Project" (as the Varangian breeding program was known at court) took place in top secret imperial workshops, quite similar to the imperial dye and silk workshops.:D
 
Yep:rofl:
 
I can picture it: Saruman (the emperor) in Isengard (Constantinople) raising rohirrim (Varangians).:rofl:
 
By the way,

has anyone noticed how much Minas Tirith and Mordor reminds of Constantinople and the Ottoman empire (no offense)?
 
Originally posted by Conrad
By the way,

has anyone noticed how much Minas Tirith and Mordor reminds of Constantinople and the Ottoman empire (no offense)?

With Leaders having Slavic names like Boromir and Faramir :p
 
It surely does confirm an analogy between the Balkans and Gondor. The Anduin would be the Black Sea and the Bosporus.

Black speech was actually based on a real language that was spoken in Asia minor. Don't remember its name, though.
 
Argh!:eek: Sam King2, is that a sword on your avatar or White arm of Saruman?:D

Back to the issue: I read some book about Ioannes Tzimisces adn the author claimed that in one of his last war campaigns he used several Russian companies, especially in one campaign to the Middle East, can i trust it?
 
Originally posted by MRAKoris
Argh!:eek: Sam King2, is that a sword on your avatar or White arm of Saruman?:D

Back to the issue: I read some book about Ioannes Tzimisces adn the author claimed that in one of his last war campaigns he used several Russian companies, especially in one campaign to the Middle East, can i trust it?

Possible, he fought them in 968-971 in Bulgaria...
 
Originally posted by Dibo
Possible, he fought them in 968-971 in Bulgaria...

You mean troops of prince Svyatoslav? Here i got some doubts since fighting against one another and the defence of Dorostol made Ioannes and Svyatoslav slightly like each other very much... I mean how could Russians join Ioannes immediately after such a war?
 
Originally posted by MRAKoris
You mean troops of prince Svyatoslav? Here i got some doubts since fighting against one another and the defence of Dorostol made Ioannes and Svyatoslav slightly like each other very much... I mean how could Russians join Ioannes immediately after such a war?
Maby as missionerys as the have lost a war and the men in the army needed gold to start a new life ?:confused:
 
As for Byzantium in Lord of the Rings...

I would suggest "Sailing to Sarantium" for fantasy books that remind that subject....

Not all is lost from the Byzantine empire tho...

Nikiforos Fokas. One of the greatest Emperors of Byzantium. A noble family from Crete, Kallergides, are his descendants. Their "family" flag is the one you see under my nick on the right (Greek flag). It was called "The Navy Flag" at a time, but later it replaced the original (white cross over blue), as the nation's premier flag.

So, in a really weird kind of way, Byzantium lives on...