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Varangian Guard

Type Object Region Byzantine Empire Time c. 988–1400

The Varangian Guard was an elite guard force of Norse and Anglo-Scandinavian origin directly under the Byzantine emperors, famed for axes and heavy a…

Timeline

  1. c. 988Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireBasil II incorporated Rus' warriors into the guard establishment, forming the Varangian Guard directly subordinate to the emperor, tasked with palace protection and combat before the throne.
  2. 1081–1090Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireAfter Alexios I acceded to the throne, the Varangian Guard continued as the emperor's personal troops in the campaigns against Robert Guiscard and the Seljuk Turks, and guarded the Great Palace and key points along the strait.

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