Byzantine battle tactics

Hey there! Byzantine battle tactics is a really interesting topic. Let me explain it to you as if you were five years old.

So, imagine you're playing with your friends outside and you have to defend your fort from invaders. You might place your strongest friends with shields and swords at the entrance to protect it, right? This is kind of what the Byzantine army did, but on a much bigger scale.

The Byzantines were really good at fighting in battles against other armies. They had lots of different tricks and strategies that made them hard to beat. They were especially good at defending their territory against invaders.

One of the main things they did was to have soldiers form a wall of shields to protect themselves from enemy arrows and spears. This was called a 'shield wall'. Soldiers also wore armor to protect themselves from being hurt.

The Byzantines also had different types of soldiers that could do different things. There were soldiers on horses called 'cavalry' that could move quickly and charge into enemy lines. They were like the knights in chess. They also had 'infantry' soldiers who fought on foot and could move in formation to protect each other.

Another thing that made Byzantine battle tactics special was the use of 'cataphracts' – heavily armored horse archers. Cataphracts would wear armor that covered not only themselves, but also their horses – making it hard for the enemy to hurt them. They would also shoot arrows from their horses, which helped soften up the enemy lines.

Overall, Byzantine battle tactics relied on careful planning and coordination between troops. They would use different formations and tactics to outsmart their opponents and defend their territory. Just like you and your friends defending your fort!