Regular army and traditional society in Byzantine Empire in the 10<sup>th</sup> - first half 11<sup>th</sup> century
The article is devoted to the consideration of two closely related problems of the history of Byzantium during the reign of the Macedonian dynasty. First, the author examines the transformation of military-organizational structure of the empire from provincial militia to the standing army. Secondly, the polemical notions characteristic of the traditional Byzantine society of the given time were investigated. In this regard, the sharply negative, critical attitude to the successful but bloody wars of Basil II of the important religious figures of Simeon the New Theologian is of particular importance. According to the author of the article, in the 10th - first half of the 11th century the Byzantine army was a complex, dynamically developing structure. In this period, Byzantium was the only Christian state with a clearly articulated military doctrine. Despite the preservation of traditional social structures, the purposeful military policy of the emperors of the Macedonian dynasty allowed the creation, by the end of the 10th century, capable regular army. This allowed Byzantium to retain its military-political power until the second half of the 11th century.