Ilkka Syvanne

Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas - The white death of the Saracens is the first ever English-language biography of the man who broke the stranglehold of Islam over Byzantine Rome so that by the year 968 his forces could invade the Muslim lands virtually unopposed. This was the result of his military reforms and remarkable gifts as a military commander. The text provides thorough analysis of how he reformed military equipment, tactics and strategy to achieve this.

The ambushes, battles and military campaigns are discussed in unprecedented detail. Special attention is also paid to the influence of the ascetic Christian lifestyle of Nikephoros on the morale of the armed forces. In spite of his religiosity, Nikephoros was a military man through and through, and the civilian population of the Empire were constantly reminded of this.

Soldiers were billeted in Constantinople and showered with favours and Nikephoros even pressured the Church to declare soldiers who died in combat as martyrs. Ilkka Syvänne meticulously explores the relationship between the Church and armed forces in the emperor’s policies. Of course Nikephoros had his human weaknesses which led to his untimely assassination.

Why and how this happened is also analysed in detail. The assassination of Nikephoros deprived the Byzantine Romans of their Bearer of Victory, but his military reforms and campaigns had paved the way for Byzantine Rome to reach its apogee under his immediate successors.