10th–14th centuriesReputable sourceWell documented
The Varangian Guard
On the timeline · around 10th–14th centuries ·
What happened
Around 988 the emperor Basil II received 6,000 warriors sent by Vladimir of the Rus and forged them into an elite personal bodyguard — the Varangian Guard. Recruited from Norse, Rus, and later Anglo-Saxon fighting men, these axe-wielding foreigners, loyal to the emperor alone, guarded the person of the ruler for centuries.
Why it matters
The Varangian Guard became legendary as the empire's most feared shock troops and most trusted bodyguards, a vivid link between Byzantium and the Viking world — and a sign of how the empire drew strength from far beyond its borders.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Varangian Guard · Reputable source