Excubitor

The Excubitors (Latin: excubitores or excubiti, literally "those out of bed", i.e. "sentinels"; transcribed into Greek as ἐξκουβίτορες or ἐξκούβιτοι) were founded in c. 460 as an imperial guard units by the Byzantine emperor Leo I the Thracian. The 300-strong unit, originally recruited from among the warlike mountain tribe of the Isaurians, replaced the older Scholae Palatinae as the main imperial bodyguard. The Excubitors remained an active military unit for the next two centuries, although, as imperial bodyguards, they did not often go on campaign. Their commander, the Count of the Excubitors (comes excubitorum, κόμης τῶν ἐξκουβίτων), soon acquired great influence. Justin I was able to use his position to rise to the throne in 518, and henceforth the Counts of the Excubitors were among the main political power-holders of their day; two more, Tiberius II Constantine and Maurice, rose to become emperors in the late 6th century.

In the late 7th century, the Excubitors appear to have degenerated into a parade-ground formation, and fade from the record as a corps. Individual seals of office however attest to the fact that title of excubitor appears to have been used as an honorific dignity rather than an active military appointment during the early 8th century. This changed in c. 760, when the corps was reformed by Emperor Constantine V into one of the elite tagmata, professional heavy cavalry regiments that provided the core of the Byzantine army of the middle Byzantine period. Notable members of the regiment during this time are Saint Joannicius the Great, and Emperor Michael II the Amorian, who served as regimental commander, or Domestic of the Excubitors (δομέστικος τῶν ἐξκουβίτων), before rising to the throne. The Excubitors fought in several campaigns during the next four centuries, and are last attested in the disastrous Battle of Dyrrhachium in 1081 that destroyed the remnants of the middle Byzantine army.

Excubitor In Agent of Byzantium

The sacred labarum.

The Excubitores continued as a unit of imperial bodyguards into the 14th century. They wore distinctive white leggings and silk surcoats along with golden torcs and belts. Their shields were blazoned with the sacred labarum and their primary weapon was a spear.

In AD 1315, Basil Argyros demonstrated hellpowder for George Lakhanodrakon on the imperial palace grounds. The explosion drew a squad of panicky excubitores, wildly pointing their spears in every direction. George quickly recovered his wits and calmed them down without revealing any information on what had just ahppened.

In AD 1320, Basil picked up a squad of excubitores from the imperial palace on his way to Priskos' tavern to purchase the secret of superwine. He reasoned that having a few muscular men along would help persuade Priskos to sell. This nearly worked against Basil since Priskos though he was there to steal the secret but Basil convinced him otherwise and bought the secret for four pounds of gold.

For their part, the excubitores could not believe their luck, that duty took them to a tavern and that Basil stood them a couple of jars of wine. He did warn them that he expected them to back him up if necessary but St. Andreas help them if they broke up the place for sport. They promised they would behave and while Basil was skeptical, nothing untoward happened.