Byzantine War and Strategy: Pertinent Lessons for Today and Tomorrow

The experience of Byzantium at war is not merely an intellectual exercise for historians but a vital source of insights pertinent to today and tomorrow's wars. The first part of this article offers a brief overview of the topic and the second part draws pertinent “lessons learned” applicable for modern strategy and policymaking. The argument will emphasize the Byzantine experience in the eleventh century—a period of great variation in Byzantine tactical, strategic, and grand strategic (i.e., political) performance. However, relevant evidence is not limited to that time period.