The Karabisianoi (Medieval Greek Καραβισιάνοι), sometimes anglicized as the Carabisians, were the main forces of the Byzantine navy from the mid-seventh until the early eighth centuries.
[9] Before that, as the Mediterranean was a "Roman lake", only a limited number of relatively small warships were maintained in the main harbours and along the fluvial borders of the Empire for patrols and transport tasks.
[6] The Karabisianoi have also been variously seen as an essentially provincial fleet, tasked with defending the southern coast of Anatolia from Miletus to Seleucia in Cilicia, the Aegean islands and the imperial holdings in southern Greece, and serving alongside a central imperial fleet in Constantinople,[6][8][13] or a command encompassing virtually the entire effective force of the Byzantine navy and active in both defensive and offensive capacities from the Black Sea to the Exarchate of Africa.
[14] The Karabisianoi were greatly strengthened under Emperor Justinian II, who settled several thousand Mardaites to serve as rowers and marines along the southern coasts of Asia Minor.
[15] The Karabisianoi played a major role in the failed expedition to recover Carthage in 697–698, and led the revolt that installed the admiral Apsimar (Tiberios III) on the throne.