Are we too “divine” to the name Athanatoi – the mighty cavalry team.
Those who have played “Age of Empire” (that is the Empire game) must have struggled against the “horse” (cavalry) team of the mighty Byzantine (Eastern Roman) empire.
And those who know the game Lara Croft: Tomb Raiders certainly cannot forget Athanatoi – the army of those who cannot die. “Athanatoi”, also known as “The Immortals”, has become a phrase that is no longer strange to those who love to learn about ancient European military, and also those who like mysterious historical elements.
Athanatoi – a name familiar to many gamers.
Possessing such a terrible name, everyone must understand that this army is “invincible”. But the truth, why? They are still defeated, and is the name just a name? We’ll go find out.
The name Athanatoi is derived from an Ancient Greek word Άθάνατοι, with “a” meaning “no” and “Thanatos” being the name of the mythical god of death. The army was part of the τάγματα (meaning watchman) regiment, of the 7th-century Byzantine army, descended from the young Eastern Roman nobility.
There are also documents indicating Athanatoi was part of the armies of neighboring countries, but modern historians argue that this army was born in the Byzantines and consisted of indigenous peoples.
As for the meaning of the name, it should first be known that Athanatoi are heavy horsemen, wearing full body armor, covered from head to toe, even their horses are protected “to the teeth”.
In historical documents, Anna Komnene – daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I called this armor “kataphraktoi”, meaning “fully protected”.
The body of the kataphraktoi consists of the “armor” part – lōrikion alysidōton, the “scale” part – lōrikion folidōton, and the metal shield on the chest, the klivanion. According to modern historians, this armor can “resist” the attack of sharp iron weapons.
Legend has it that King Alexios I was besieged by the Normans. They tried to attack him with spears, but couldn’t even make a scratch thanks to this special armor.
The king was then rescued and even turned the tide to win the war. Perhaps that’s why Athanatoi got the title “immortal”.
Perhaps people have overestimated the reputation of Athanatoi, because the majestic armor is the result of the development of a Byzantine military, and all that history records about Athanatoi is just.. just a faint name.
The best evidence is probably in the humiliating defeat in the rare battles recorded with the participation of Athanatoi. That was when Alexios I Komnenos fought the rebel Nikephoros Bryennios Elder in the 1070s.
Alexios I Komnenos.
In a document written by Anna Komnene, the army was in a dire state at the time: “…the Roman dynasty was already exhausted. The army was sparsely scattered across the Eastern front. Meanwhile, our ally, Turkey, is busy marching to invade neighboring continents.
Alexios I’s army consisted of “Athanatoi”, 300 Chomatenes, several Frankish mercenaries and allied troops from Turkey against at least 10,000 Bryennios men.
The battle was clearly in favor of the Byzantines, but no one knows why the king decided to fight even though the Turkish ally had not yet appeared.
After encountering Bryennios’ elite troops, the ambush was quickly wiped out. The army of immortals, known as Athanatoi, also quickly disbanded. Alexios had to withdraw and retreat to the defense.
Fortunately, Alexios’ ally Türkiye appeared in time and counterattacked. Bryennios lost control of his troops and was captured. The battle ended with the victory in favor of Alexios.
Several other documents also say that Athanatoi appeared in the battle against the Pechenegs in the 1090s, but was not very prominent and then disappeared completely.
Of course, although Alexios I won, it was not thanks to the efforts of the “immortal” army that everyone thought was good at fighting. It was just an ordinary army, bearing the title of “overwhelming” in a dynasty that left many scandals in Byzantine history.