A companion to the Byzantine culture of war ca. 300 1204 This collection of essays on the Byzantine culture of war in the period between the 4th and the 12th centuries offers a new critical approach to the study of warfare as a fundamental aspect of East Roman society and culture in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The books main goal is to provide a critical overview of current research as well as new insights into the role of military organization as a distinct form of social power in one of historys more long lived empires. The various chapters consider the political ideological practical institutional and organizational aspects of Byzantine warfare and place it at the centre of the study of social and cultural history Introduction: military power in the Christian Roman Empire c. 300 1204 Yannis Stouraitis The imperial theology of victory Paul Stephenson State war ethic and popular views on warfare Yannis Stouraitis War in the Christian Empire Yannis Stouraitis The enemies of the empire: portrayed images Michael Grunbart Warfare as literary narrative Stamatina McGrath Alternative means of conflict resolution Tilemachos Lounghis Army structure: Roman continuity and Byzantine change Savvas Kyriakidis Byzantine fronts and strategies 300 1204 Denis Sullivan Naval warfare: military institutional and economic aspects Salvatore Cosent Siege warfare: the art of re capture Christos G. Makrypoulias The army in peace time: social status and the function of soldiers Philip Military technology: production and use of weapons Georgios Theotokis