Excubitors

The Excubitores (Latin for " guardian"; ἐξκουβίτορες Greek ) were an elite unit that was the most important guard of the Eastern Roman Emperor in the outgoing Late Antiquity.

The troupe was founded around 460 by Emperor Leo I, who was then in the process of the maneuver of the ruler to increase again. The 300 -strong unit was recruited experienced soldiers; their introduction was necessary because the original bodyguard who scholae palatinae and protectores domestici that were in turn taken the place of the Praetorian Guard after 312 were sunk to the parade troops without major combat value. Above all, the emperor, who was then in a power struggle with the army Master Aspar, the loyalty of these guardsmen could not be sure. Leo, therefore, recognized that the emperor more effective protection needed to occur confidently face of powerful aristocrats and military can. Around the same time with the establishment of excubitores therefore adopted the Emperor a law that allowed only selected dignitaries, with an armed Appendix ( bucellarii ) to surround. Already in the early imperial period had called a halt Guard soldiers in Latin as excubitor; this designation grabbed Leo, at whose court nor Latin was spoken to. The fighting strength of the new force already proved 471, when, after the murder Aspar its annex an attack on the palace took, which was repulsed. Initially apparently served many Isaurian in the new guard, but are early men of different origin is as excubitores.

At the top of the new guard was the excubitorum comes. This office was very early very significant; several of its occupants were in the 6th century even himself emperor, as Justin, Tiberius Constantine and Mauricius. In addition, they were used early as generals or accompanied Byzantine armies to control the army commander on behalf of the Emperor. Also significant was the next rank of scribo; this scribones commanded often smaller departments of the Guard, who carried out special assignments. The scribo Anthinus about arrested by order of the Emperor Justinian 546 the Roman bishop Vigilius and led him to Constantinople Opel; The same was repeated 653 at the capture of Pope Martin I by a group of excubitores. The guards acted under circumstances as executioner.

As the Byzantine army in the mid- 7th century, in the face of defeats against the Arabs (Islamic expansion) was fundamentally restructured - as well as the office of Master of the Soldiers disappeared - also seem to have changed the excubitores their character strong. To 750 they were completely reorganized, converted along with the scholae in elite regiments ( tagmata ), which then formed the core of the Byzantine Imperial Guard and the various expeditionary force to the 11th century. The Tagma of ἐξκουβίτορες is mentioned for the last time in the army of Emperor Alexios I at the disastrous Battle of Dyrrachium against the Normans in 1081.