Varangian Guard: The Vikings of the Byzantine Empire

Varangian Guard: The Vikings of the Byzantine Empire

Depiction of the Varangian Guard,the Vikings of the Byzantine Empire. Image: Joannis Scylitza, 12th century. Credit: Public domain The Vikings were a seafaring people from Scandinavia. They most famously raided in and around the British Isles and the western coasts of Europe. However, what many people do not know is that they were active much further east, too. The Vikings played a surprising yet significant role in the Byzantine Empire, where t…