Some Observations on Administration and Logistics of the Siege of Nicaea

Abstract

The writing of medieval military history, at present, is dominated by a romantic emphasis on ‘chivarly’ and ‘knightly’ individualism. This parti pris fundamentally distorts the history of medieval warfare and undermines a proper understanding of medieval society by making it seem intrinsically alien to both Roman and early modern military culture. In this study of a siege, which dominated warfare during the Middle Ages, the material realities have been emphasized, e.g., administration and logistics, as contrasted to literary propaganda and religious propaganda, in an effort to stimulate discussion regarding the ineluctable facts that undergird war throughout history.