Immortals (Byzantine)

The Immortals (Greek :Ἀθάνατοι, Athanatoi) were one of the elite tagmata military units of the Byzantine Empire, first raised during the late 10th century. The name derives from a- ("without") + thanatos ("death").

History

The Athanatoi were a body of young men of noble status that was originally raised by John I Tzimiskes (r. 969-976) for his war with the Rus'. The unit was probably disbanded shortly afterwards, since it does not appear again in the sources.

The Immortals were however revived under the Emperor Michael VII (r. 1071–1081), when his minister Nikephoritzes reorganised the army. This reorganisation was part of an effort to address a major military crisis for the Empire following the disastrous defeat suffered by the Byzantines against the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. The Seljuks had subsequently overrun most of Asia Minor, which had provided the main recruiting ground for the pre-Manzikert army.

As part of the reorganisation process, the remnants of the provincial troops of the Eastern themata (military provinces) were brought together as the Immortals, providing a new tagmatic regiment. The new Immortals may have been cavalry, like the bulk of the old Byzantine field army, but this is not certain.

The Byzantine historian Nicephorus Bryennius records that the Immortals numbered 10,000, but this is most likely an allusion to the old Persian Immortal Guard. He adds that the title of "Immortals" was originally accorded only to officers but was soon applied to the entire corps.

It is not known when the Immortals disappeared from the Byzantine order of battle, but they most likely had been disbanded by 1200.

Literary Reference

In Walter Scott's novel "Count Robert of Paris" the Immortals appear as rivals to the Viking or Anglo-Saxon Varangian Guard for Imperial favour.

Translation of "Immortals (Byzantine)"

Russian: Бессмертные (Византия).