July 21, 2011 History 103 Medieval Warriors in Society

History 103 21 July 2011 Warriors and Armies in Medieval Society There were many different cultures in the medieval time period. existed. In all of those cultures armies and warriors

Those warriors and armies were viewed They held a special

differently than other citizens. place in society. protect citizens.

Armies were used to extend borders and Warriors were also valuable. What

standards were warriors and armies held too, were they treated differently than other members of society? Evidence that military personnel were held to different standards is shown in the Theodosian Code. Theodosian Code was a roman code of law. Sons of The

military men were required to serve unless they were sick and some other type of physical problem1. This was required in order to keep the army well stocked. Another reason

this was required was because they were thought to posse their fathers strength. Military veterans were also given tracts of land in the far reaches of the Roman kingdom2. The veterans were

given this land in order to protect the borders that were usually difficult to defend3. reward for their service. these tracts of land. This was also a type of

Normal citizens were not given

This shows that soldiers were

treated better and differently from common people, because they were given land tracts. Veterans needed to be considered worthy of being called a veteran4. Being called a veteran was a privilege Veterans were They were not The

and it could be taken away from them. expected to partake in good business5.

suppose to be involved in shady business practices.

veterans were basically supposed to have productive lives. If veterans broke laws or did live in a respectable way, they would have all special privileges taken away and be punished. Veterans were held to a higher standard in

roman society. Military life was the center German peoples lives of the Middle Ages. The Germans weapons were different from The Germans used spears instead A

most civilizations. swords6.

Their spears were very effective weapons.

cavalry was also present in Germen armies7. spears and shields for their weapons.

They carried

The soldiers did

not ware very much clothes sometimes they were even naked8. The soldiers were fast and effective fighters. The

Germans also developed tactics of fighting that worked very well for them. The supreme leader of the Germans was chosen by birth9. The next social level down included generals of The They were

the armies that were chosen because of merit. generals were leaders and well respected men.

people the soldiers were not afraid to follow into battle10. Soldiers were required to fight as bravely as

the leaders but not surpass the general in valor. Military officials were very highly regarded in German society. Further evidence shows that military practices existed in other parts of German life. All business and

political affairs were conducted while participants were armed with their spears and shields11. The men with the

weapons in public were given special privileges by the government. process. Males were often brought up in an initiation

The Germans did this by giving young boys Weapons were a

weapons when they were worthy of them12.

sign of power.

The presence of the military was in most

places in Medieval German life. When German soldiers were not fighting in battle they spent most of their time eating and relaxing13. tended to family affairs. They also

When they were not in battle In

soldiers had the same responsibilities of normal men.

the German culture military life was the center, but the soldiers were not given special and extra ordinary privileges. An important event that happened during the middle ages was the crusades. These were a series of holy wars Warriors that fought these

to try and regain holy ground.

battles were very passionate because the main purpose of the wars was religious. The crusades are a good example

of how warriors were affected by war and how society viewed warriors. Different cultures came together during the war to fight together. Warriors united under the pope. The pope Since

called men to fight for the church and holy land14.

religion was such a big part of medieval life most men went to fight. The crusades were the dominant event of

the time and many were killed fighting in the crusades.

The warriors who fought in the crusades were viewed as protectors of the church. The pope used powerful messages in speeches that compelled men to go and fight for him and the church. He also threatened terrible things to those

who decided they wanted no part of the crusades with statements like, you will be fiercely overwhelmed in hell.15 One of the more significant examples of warriors being important in medieval society is the fact that 130,000 men went to fight in the crusades and only about 10 percent of those men were professional warriors16. Warriors were viewed as heroes and everyone wanted to be involved in the wars. Warriors were a very important part The crusades were such an

of the medieval society.

important event that men often let their families travel with them to the holy land17. It was common practice for

wars to consume much of a countrys people, time, and thoughts. The people European crusaders were battling were the Muslims. They were also very involved in military life The Muslims wanted to protect land they had The Muslims were very

and affairs.

in the name of their god Allah18.

good fighters because the crusades were never really a success. Muslim children were taught Muslim ways and that From a

included never letting go of land that they posed. young age boys were taught about military life.

Just as

in European society Muslim society also involved a lot of military presence. Military and warriors were an

important part of all civilizations in the medieval time period. In the middle ages women did not usually have anything to do with military decisions. Women could treat

wounded or cooked for them but that was probably the extent of their involvement in military affairs. exception to that is the story of Joan of Arc. women involved in military decisions. own army19. An She was a

Joan of Arc had her

Her group of soldiers helped to free France. She helped to

At the time France was devastated from war. turn the country around.

She took King Charles to Rheims, The king was stuck in a

he was then crowned king there20. city that was under siege.

Joan of Arc freed the city and Joan of Arc was a

helped the king get back to his throne.

woman with a lot of power in a time when women did not have very much power. She had military power which makes

her accomplishments even more impressive.

Women also

played a smaller role associated with military life. Women would assume the mens duties when they left to fight in a war. Women were responsible for up keep and Most noble women were not

maintenance of the home.

allowed to work but they had to find somebody to do the work. Throughout the medieval period warriors had a specific place in society. War and fighting was a big Religion was a big

part of life during that time period.

part of life and a lot of battles were fought over religion. Warriors fighting for the church were held in A good army was the only real form of power Warriors were valuable for that reason.

high regards.

that rulers had.

Those reasons made the warriors a very important group to society in the Middle Ages. Most of the different

cultures mentioned had warriors that were treated in the same way. They were all treated with great respect.

Women did not play a huge role in military life except for Joan of Arc. history. She was a very important figure in French

Overall warriors in the middle ages were treated

well.

They were also treated differently from other

citizens.

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Anonymous, Theodosian Code, in the Medieval Record: Sources of Medieval History, ed. Alfred J. Andrea (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997), 25. 2 Anonymous, Theodosian Code, 25. 3 Anonymous, Theodosian Code, 25. 4 Anonymous, Theodosian Code, 26. 5 Anonymous, Theodosian Code, 26. 6 Tacitus, Germania, in the Medieval Record: Sources of Medieval History, ed. Alfred J. Andrea (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997), 43. 7 Tacitus, Germania, 43. 8 Tacitus, Germania, 43. 9 Tacitus, Germania, 43. 10 Tacitus, Germania, 44. 11 Tacitus, Germania, 44. 12 Tacitus, Germania, 44. 13 Tacitus, Germania, 45. 14 Fulcher of Chartres, A Jerusalem History, 344-48 15 Fulcher of Chartres, A Jerusalem History, in the Medieval Record: Sources of Medieval History, ed. Alfred J. Andrea (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997), 345. 16 Alfred J. Andrea, The Crusade Ideal, in the Medieval Record: Sources of Medieval History (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 19970, 342. 17 Andrea, The Crusade Ideal, 342. 18 Anonymous, Quran in the Medieval Record: Sources of Medieval History, ed. Alfred J. Andrea (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997), 89-92. 19 Alfred J. Andrea, Joan of Arc, Blessed Heroine of France, in the Medieval Record: Sources of Medieval History, ed. Alfred J. Andrea (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997), 435. 20 Andrea, Joan of Arc, Heroine of France 435.