http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Mehterhane.jpg/350px-Mehterhane.jpg
Turkish finale - The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), 1782 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ACT III Finale：Turkish Janissary band is singing to praise The Pasha for a change. He, at least, turned out noble and generous in the end. 莫札特歌劇"後宮的誘逃“最終章，讚美國王The Pasha的寬大仁慈
Janissary music was the inspiration to Mozart making turkish style. It's especially when oriental flavor did being popular in 18th-century European society. Ottoman military bands are thought to be the oldest kind of military marching band. The music was for military on wars, special days and the presence of khans (supreme rulers of turkish tribes; “Tuğ” Türk XI. century). In Ottoman, the band was generally known as mehterân (مهتران), though those bands used in the retinue of a vizier or prince were generally known as mehterhane (مهترخانه, meaning roughly, "a gathering of mehters"). In modern Turkish, the band is often termed mehter takımı "mehter team". In the West, the band's music is also often called Janissary music because the janissaries formed the core of the bands.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Byzantium at War by John Haldon

Byzantium at War (AD 600–1453)
Author: John Haldon

About this book
Byzantium survived for 800 years, yet its dominions and power fluctuated dramatically during that time. John Haldon tells the story from the days when the Empire was barely clinging on to survival, to the age when its fabulous wealth attracted Viking mercenaries and Asian nomad warriors to its armies, their very appearance on the field enough to bring enemies to terms. In 1453 the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XII, died fighting on the ramparts, bringing to a romantic end the glorious history of this legendary empire.

拜占庭的歷史歷經了八百多年，這八百多年統治的權力、軍事的力量變動巨大。普林斯頓大學Haldon教授在這本書介紹拜占庭軍事戰爭的故事，從帝國掙扎生存的年代，到繁榮壯盛的時期；北歐的維京人追尋著財富進入拜占庭軍隊，也還吸引來自亞洲的遊牧蠻族，拜占庭軍隊這些多樣的軍容樣貌，即是外表就已經足夠懾服了前來的敵人。西元1453年拜占庭帝國最後一位君王君士坦丁十二Constantine XII戰死在碉堡中，感傷地結束了這一個輝煌傳奇的中古帝國。

Contents
Background to war : The political world of Byzantium；Warring sides: Neighbours and enemies； Why and how did Byzantium fight wars? ； The fighting: Organising for war； Portrait of a soldier: Recruitment, discipline, and life on campaign ； How the wars ended: Death of an empire· Conclusion and consequences: War, peace, and survival； Further reading ； Byzantine rulers AD 527–1453.
Posted by chiejun

1 comment:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)