Following the Raven Banner

Cited In:

• Blöndal, Sigfús. and Benedikt S. Benedikz, trans., The Varangians of Byzantium: An Aspect of Byzantine Military History, revised and rewritten by Benedikt S. Benedikz. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Used For:

• An extremely important monograph, instrumental in studying the Varangian Guard. This book traces the origins of the Varangians and goes back even further to the first interactions between the Scandinavian Rus and the Byzantine world. It includes some of the earliest mentions of Scandinavian mercenary work that I have found. In addition to that, it also helps to establish a strong correlation between the military success of Byzantine Emperor Basil II and his use of Scandinavian mercenaries.