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Tagmata (the Greek plural of tagma) were military units in the Byzantine Empire.
History
In the year 743, the Byzantine emperor Constantine V retook Constantinople from the rebellious Count of the Opsician thema, Artabasdus. Soon after, Constantine broke up the rebellious Opsician theme. Apparently, roughly half of the soldiers assigned to the theme were used to create six new military units known as the Tagmata (battalions). In order to ensure their loyalty, the commanders were directly responsible to the emperor.
These new units were assigned to the capital, the former Opsician theme, and the theme of Thrace. The four most prestigious tagmata, in order, were the Scholae (Gr. Σχολαι, "Scholars"), the Excubitors (Gr. Εξκουβιτοι); the Aritmoi (Gr. Αριτμοι, "Numbers") or Vigiles (Gr. υιγλα, "Watch"), and the Hikanatoi (Gr. Ικανατοι, "Worthies"). All of these, and the Phoideratoi (Gr. Φοιδηρατοι "Allies"), were cavalry units consisting of from 1-6,000 men each. The Numeroi (Gr. Νουμηροι, "Bathhouse boys"), Optimatoi (Gr. Οπτιματοι, "Best"), and Wall regiment were infantry tagmata.
Some of the tagmata (especially the Scholae) began as an honorary post for well-connected citizens (δυνατοι). One emperor even amused himself by placing it on the active duty roster for an upcoming campaign only to see the panicked reaction of its senators, aristocrats, and merchants. Other units, such as the Vigiles, were used basically as policemen and firefighters for the capital Constantinople. Eventually, however, the tagmata all became practical, crack units.
Despite the main purpose of supressing military rebellion, the tagmata turned out to have practical uses. For one, they were more mobile than the theme troops. While they still held land in return for military service, the tagmata tended to sublet their estates and were primarily used for offensive action rather than garrison duty. This made them a good supplement to the theme troops, who were more concerned with local defense.
References and Sources
- Warren Treadgold, The Struggle for Survival, edited by Cyril Mango, published in The Oxford History of Byzantium. (Oxford University Press, 2002)
- Stephen McCotter, Byzantine army, edited by Richard Holmes, published in The Oxford Companion to Military History. (Oxford University Press, 2001)
McCotter's sources listed as:
- Bartusis, M.C., The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society 1204-1453 (Philadelphia, 1992).
- Haldon, J., State, Army and Society in Byzantium (Aldershot, 1995).
- Treadgold, W., The Byzantine Army 284-1081 (Stanford, 1995).
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