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What should I call bands of armed men in the Middle Ages?
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I am writing a fiction short story roughly based off medieval times in Europe. In it I have a group of men who live in a castle and fight for the castle's lord. (They mainly protect the surrounding villages from a group of bandits.)
If they existed in modern day times I'd refer to them as soldiers. They are much like traditional knights, only they're a whole group, they've never been knighted and aren't members of nobility.
What might they be called? I'm looking for a term, from sometime in the medieval time period (I don't care when), that the surrounding villagers would call them by.
Are the terms vavasseur or sergeant appropriate? Is there another better term?
middle-ages europe
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
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asked yesterday
user613user613
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user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I am writing a fiction short story roughly based off medieval times in Europe. In it I have a group of men who live in a castle and fight for the castle's lord. (They mainly protect the surrounding villages from a group of bandits.)
If they existed in modern day times I'd refer to them as soldiers. They are much like traditional knights, only they're a whole group, they've never been knighted and aren't members of nobility.
What might they be called? I'm looking for a term, from sometime in the medieval time period (I don't care when), that the surrounding villagers would call them by.
Are the terms vavasseur or sergeant appropriate? Is there another better term?
middle-ages europe
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
9
To answer this in a realistic mannor, a timeframe and locality within Europe is required (Areas inside Europe envolved differently, thus requiring a general timeframe for a given area). Otherwise this question may be deemed by others as too vague/general or (which is worse) determined as a question asked solely for the purpose of us to do your research for you.
– Mark Johnson
yesterday
Look at garrisons.
– justCal
yesterday
add a comment |
I am writing a fiction short story roughly based off medieval times in Europe. In it I have a group of men who live in a castle and fight for the castle's lord. (They mainly protect the surrounding villages from a group of bandits.)
If they existed in modern day times I'd refer to them as soldiers. They are much like traditional knights, only they're a whole group, they've never been knighted and aren't members of nobility.
What might they be called? I'm looking for a term, from sometime in the medieval time period (I don't care when), that the surrounding villagers would call them by.
Are the terms vavasseur or sergeant appropriate? Is there another better term?
middle-ages europe
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I am writing a fiction short story roughly based off medieval times in Europe. In it I have a group of men who live in a castle and fight for the castle's lord. (They mainly protect the surrounding villages from a group of bandits.)
If they existed in modern day times I'd refer to them as soldiers. They are much like traditional knights, only they're a whole group, they've never been knighted and aren't members of nobility.
What might they be called? I'm looking for a term, from sometime in the medieval time period (I don't care when), that the surrounding villagers would call them by.
Are the terms vavasseur or sergeant appropriate? Is there another better term?
middle-ages europe
middle-ages europe
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
edited 9 hours ago
kingledion
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
6193 silver badges12 bronze badges
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
asked yesterday
user613user613
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
681 silver badge5 bronze badges
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
user613 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
9
To answer this in a realistic mannor, a timeframe and locality within Europe is required (Areas inside Europe envolved differently, thus requiring a general timeframe for a given area). Otherwise this question may be deemed by others as too vague/general or (which is worse) determined as a question asked solely for the purpose of us to do your research for you.
– Mark Johnson
yesterday
Look at garrisons.
– justCal
yesterday
add a comment |
9
To answer this in a realistic mannor, a timeframe and locality within Europe is required (Areas inside Europe envolved differently, thus requiring a general timeframe for a given area). Otherwise this question may be deemed by others as too vague/general or (which is worse) determined as a question asked solely for the purpose of us to do your research for you.
– Mark Johnson
yesterday
Look at garrisons.
– justCal
yesterday
9
9
To answer this in a realistic mannor, a timeframe and locality within Europe is required (Areas inside Europe envolved differently, thus requiring a general timeframe for a given area). Otherwise this question may be deemed by others as too vague/general or (which is worse) determined as a question asked solely for the purpose of us to do your research for you.
– Mark Johnson
yesterday
To answer this in a realistic mannor, a timeframe and locality within Europe is required (Areas inside Europe envolved differently, thus requiring a general timeframe for a given area). Otherwise this question may be deemed by others as too vague/general or (which is worse) determined as a question asked solely for the purpose of us to do your research for you.
– Mark Johnson
yesterday
Look at garrisons.
– justCal
yesterday
Look at garrisons.
– justCal
yesterday
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
As Carlos Martin has noted, these soldiers are men at arms. They might be armed with swords, bows or crossbows, spears, or other pole-arms (eg pikes or halberds) depending on precise period and geographic origin. Generally they would be responsible for their own arms and armour, but a wealthier lord (or captain for a mercenary rather than feudal levy) might choose to upgrade that in order to field a more impressive and effective force.
Groups numbering in the range 10-20 would be commanded by a sergeant, and might be termed a peloton (the French root of our modern platoon), troupe, or escadre (French root of modern squad) without being too anachronistic. Larger groups, composed of multiple pelotons, would be termed a company and commanded by a captain assisted by a lieutenant. Within a single levy, either mercenary or feudal, there would be some consistency in peloton size, but there need not be complete consistency between companies of different origin, other than the general pattern just described. In companies of several pelotons the most senior sergeant would be the sergeant major.
If the company is of such a size to fight as two separate wings, the captain and lieutenant would command one each. If large enough to deserve three wings, then the captain would command the centre with the lieutenant and sergeant-major each commanding a wing to his left and right. There might or might not be a tactical reserve. A mercenary company might be as large as two or three hundred men in the later part of the period.
This answer about living arrangements for a castle's Constable notes that the castles built in Wales by Edward I generally were designed to support, and be adequately defended by, a garrison of slightly more than 30 men.
The History section of this answer about early modern Spanish officer and enlisted ranks details some of the etymology for the various uses of major (ie Sergeant-Major, (Battalion-)Major, and Major-General) in modern ranks - enlisted, officer, and general - as well as of modern unit organization in the early modern era.
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
add a comment |
They are Men at arms, professional soldiers.
The lance fourni of a knight, the unit of soldiers a knight brought to battles or protected the fief, was formed by professional horse-riders, archers and/or spearmen. They were also called men at arms, so the sergeant/marischal in charge of your unit could be a knight or a common man (a yeoman if you heavily borrow from English history).
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
1
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
6
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
2
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
3
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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active
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votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
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active
oldest
votes
As Carlos Martin has noted, these soldiers are men at arms. They might be armed with swords, bows or crossbows, spears, or other pole-arms (eg pikes or halberds) depending on precise period and geographic origin. Generally they would be responsible for their own arms and armour, but a wealthier lord (or captain for a mercenary rather than feudal levy) might choose to upgrade that in order to field a more impressive and effective force.
Groups numbering in the range 10-20 would be commanded by a sergeant, and might be termed a peloton (the French root of our modern platoon), troupe, or escadre (French root of modern squad) without being too anachronistic. Larger groups, composed of multiple pelotons, would be termed a company and commanded by a captain assisted by a lieutenant. Within a single levy, either mercenary or feudal, there would be some consistency in peloton size, but there need not be complete consistency between companies of different origin, other than the general pattern just described. In companies of several pelotons the most senior sergeant would be the sergeant major.
If the company is of such a size to fight as two separate wings, the captain and lieutenant would command one each. If large enough to deserve three wings, then the captain would command the centre with the lieutenant and sergeant-major each commanding a wing to his left and right. There might or might not be a tactical reserve. A mercenary company might be as large as two or three hundred men in the later part of the period.
This answer about living arrangements for a castle's Constable notes that the castles built in Wales by Edward I generally were designed to support, and be adequately defended by, a garrison of slightly more than 30 men.
The History section of this answer about early modern Spanish officer and enlisted ranks details some of the etymology for the various uses of major (ie Sergeant-Major, (Battalion-)Major, and Major-General) in modern ranks - enlisted, officer, and general - as well as of modern unit organization in the early modern era.
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
add a comment |
As Carlos Martin has noted, these soldiers are men at arms. They might be armed with swords, bows or crossbows, spears, or other pole-arms (eg pikes or halberds) depending on precise period and geographic origin. Generally they would be responsible for their own arms and armour, but a wealthier lord (or captain for a mercenary rather than feudal levy) might choose to upgrade that in order to field a more impressive and effective force.
Groups numbering in the range 10-20 would be commanded by a sergeant, and might be termed a peloton (the French root of our modern platoon), troupe, or escadre (French root of modern squad) without being too anachronistic. Larger groups, composed of multiple pelotons, would be termed a company and commanded by a captain assisted by a lieutenant. Within a single levy, either mercenary or feudal, there would be some consistency in peloton size, but there need not be complete consistency between companies of different origin, other than the general pattern just described. In companies of several pelotons the most senior sergeant would be the sergeant major.
If the company is of such a size to fight as two separate wings, the captain and lieutenant would command one each. If large enough to deserve three wings, then the captain would command the centre with the lieutenant and sergeant-major each commanding a wing to his left and right. There might or might not be a tactical reserve. A mercenary company might be as large as two or three hundred men in the later part of the period.
This answer about living arrangements for a castle's Constable notes that the castles built in Wales by Edward I generally were designed to support, and be adequately defended by, a garrison of slightly more than 30 men.
The History section of this answer about early modern Spanish officer and enlisted ranks details some of the etymology for the various uses of major (ie Sergeant-Major, (Battalion-)Major, and Major-General) in modern ranks - enlisted, officer, and general - as well as of modern unit organization in the early modern era.
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
add a comment |
As Carlos Martin has noted, these soldiers are men at arms. They might be armed with swords, bows or crossbows, spears, or other pole-arms (eg pikes or halberds) depending on precise period and geographic origin. Generally they would be responsible for their own arms and armour, but a wealthier lord (or captain for a mercenary rather than feudal levy) might choose to upgrade that in order to field a more impressive and effective force.
Groups numbering in the range 10-20 would be commanded by a sergeant, and might be termed a peloton (the French root of our modern platoon), troupe, or escadre (French root of modern squad) without being too anachronistic. Larger groups, composed of multiple pelotons, would be termed a company and commanded by a captain assisted by a lieutenant. Within a single levy, either mercenary or feudal, there would be some consistency in peloton size, but there need not be complete consistency between companies of different origin, other than the general pattern just described. In companies of several pelotons the most senior sergeant would be the sergeant major.
If the company is of such a size to fight as two separate wings, the captain and lieutenant would command one each. If large enough to deserve three wings, then the captain would command the centre with the lieutenant and sergeant-major each commanding a wing to his left and right. There might or might not be a tactical reserve. A mercenary company might be as large as two or three hundred men in the later part of the period.
This answer about living arrangements for a castle's Constable notes that the castles built in Wales by Edward I generally were designed to support, and be adequately defended by, a garrison of slightly more than 30 men.
The History section of this answer about early modern Spanish officer and enlisted ranks details some of the etymology for the various uses of major (ie Sergeant-Major, (Battalion-)Major, and Major-General) in modern ranks - enlisted, officer, and general - as well as of modern unit organization in the early modern era.
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
As Carlos Martin has noted, these soldiers are men at arms. They might be armed with swords, bows or crossbows, spears, or other pole-arms (eg pikes or halberds) depending on precise period and geographic origin. Generally they would be responsible for their own arms and armour, but a wealthier lord (or captain for a mercenary rather than feudal levy) might choose to upgrade that in order to field a more impressive and effective force.
Groups numbering in the range 10-20 would be commanded by a sergeant, and might be termed a peloton (the French root of our modern platoon), troupe, or escadre (French root of modern squad) without being too anachronistic. Larger groups, composed of multiple pelotons, would be termed a company and commanded by a captain assisted by a lieutenant. Within a single levy, either mercenary or feudal, there would be some consistency in peloton size, but there need not be complete consistency between companies of different origin, other than the general pattern just described. In companies of several pelotons the most senior sergeant would be the sergeant major.
If the company is of such a size to fight as two separate wings, the captain and lieutenant would command one each. If large enough to deserve three wings, then the captain would command the centre with the lieutenant and sergeant-major each commanding a wing to his left and right. There might or might not be a tactical reserve. A mercenary company might be as large as two or three hundred men in the later part of the period.
This answer about living arrangements for a castle's Constable notes that the castles built in Wales by Edward I generally were designed to support, and be adequately defended by, a garrison of slightly more than 30 men.
The History section of this answer about early modern Spanish officer and enlisted ranks details some of the etymology for the various uses of major (ie Sergeant-Major, (Battalion-)Major, and Major-General) in modern ranks - enlisted, officer, and general - as well as of modern unit organization in the early modern era.
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
edited 1 hour ago
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
answered yesterday
Pieter GeerkensPieter Geerkens
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
44.3k7 gold badges129 silver badges207 bronze badges
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
Escadre design a group of ships or airplanes. Escadron would work better, I think.
– baudsp
10 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
@baudsp: I was working strictly from the etymology, which lists escadre as being older than escadron. For a late Medieval story both would probably be fine in either context.
– Pieter Geerkens
8 hours ago
add a comment |
They are Men at arms, professional soldiers.
The lance fourni of a knight, the unit of soldiers a knight brought to battles or protected the fief, was formed by professional horse-riders, archers and/or spearmen. They were also called men at arms, so the sergeant/marischal in charge of your unit could be a knight or a common man (a yeoman if you heavily borrow from English history).
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
1
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
6
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
2
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
3
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
add a comment |
They are Men at arms, professional soldiers.
The lance fourni of a knight, the unit of soldiers a knight brought to battles or protected the fief, was formed by professional horse-riders, archers and/or spearmen. They were also called men at arms, so the sergeant/marischal in charge of your unit could be a knight or a common man (a yeoman if you heavily borrow from English history).
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
1
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
6
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
2
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
3
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
add a comment |
They are Men at arms, professional soldiers.
The lance fourni of a knight, the unit of soldiers a knight brought to battles or protected the fief, was formed by professional horse-riders, archers and/or spearmen. They were also called men at arms, so the sergeant/marischal in charge of your unit could be a knight or a common man (a yeoman if you heavily borrow from English history).
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
They are Men at arms, professional soldiers.
The lance fourni of a knight, the unit of soldiers a knight brought to battles or protected the fief, was formed by professional horse-riders, archers and/or spearmen. They were also called men at arms, so the sergeant/marischal in charge of your unit could be a knight or a common man (a yeoman if you heavily borrow from English history).
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
answered yesterday
Carlos MartinCarlos Martin
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
4211 silver badge4 bronze badges
1
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
6
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
2
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
3
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
add a comment |
1
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
6
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
2
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
3
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
1
1
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
They could also be called mercenaries. Indeed, they usually were mercenaries however they were called in practice.
– Denis de Bernardy
yesterday
6
6
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
@DenisdeBernardy: That is incorrect. Every knight was required to show up with a retinue of grooms and men-at-arms as part of his feudal fee when called to arms by his lord. Feudal men-at arms outnumbered mercenaries very considerably in every medieval battle I am aware of. Consider Crecy: the French army comprise over 10,000 feudal men-at-arms (termed common infantry in the link but only 2,000 to 6,000 mercenary crossbowmen. At Agincourt the English longbowmen were entirely feudal levy.
– Pieter Geerkens
yesterday
2
2
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
@PieterGeerkens - Things became way mercenari-er by Italian Wars perdiod, though; and kinda rolled that way by the end of 100 year war, as far as I recall the trend started by Condotierri in Italy
– DVK
yesterday
3
3
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
@DVK: By the time the "Italian Wars [period" starts we are in the Renaissance, no longer in the Medieval Times inquired about in the OP. By the time the Lombard League is formed in 1167, Italy is awash with de facto independent city states, with no feudal levies available - so of course they hire professional soldiers, and to keep them professional start renting them out to supplement the feudal levies of various Northern European sovereigns.
– Pieter Geerkens
21 hours ago
add a comment |
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9
To answer this in a realistic mannor, a timeframe and locality within Europe is required (Areas inside Europe envolved differently, thus requiring a general timeframe for a given area). Otherwise this question may be deemed by others as too vague/general or (which is worse) determined as a question asked solely for the purpose of us to do your research for you.
– Mark Johnson
yesterday
Look at garrisons.
– justCal
yesterday