Frederick Barbarossa was one of the towering political and military figures of the medieval era. This Holy Roman Emperor struck terror into his enemies, including the pope. He also enforced strict discipline within his army. To this end, he issued a rule book. It gives us a fascinating glimpse of army life during the era of the Templars.
What was the Holy Roman Empire?
The Holy Roman Empire was founded in 800 CE when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, the Frankish king, as “Emperor of the Romans,” effectively reviving the title of Roman Emperor, which had been vacant for centuries since the collapse of the western Roman Empire in 476 CE. This was a calculated snub to the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople, which regarded its emperor as the inheritor of the Roman imperial title. There were now, in effect, two emperors who thought they were latter-day Caesars.
For the popes, the creation of the Holy Roman Empire, centred on what is now modern Germany, should have been a godsend. But in the 11th century CE, as the popes sought to assert their power over monarchs, the Holy Roman emperor resisted, insisting that only he had the right to appoint bishops and other senior church figures in his realm. This crisis was termed the Investiture Controversy. And it broadened out into a more general struggle between the papacy and the empire during the Middle Ages.
Excommunication of Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (meaning ‘red beard’) was one of those most charismatic figures of the medieval period. He was crowned emperor in Rome by Adrian IV – the only English pope in history. His ambition was to revive the glory days of Charlemagne and that meant bringing both the German and northern Italian nobles to heel – but also asserting more control over the papacy. His clashes with the pope led to his excommunication. However, on the plus side, from Rome’s point of view, he did participate in the Third Crusade.
The military rule book of Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick’s biography, Otto of Freising, described the rule book that Frederick developed for his army. Otto wrote about this in his work: Gesta Frederici I imperatoris. It gives us a remarkable insight into how a medieval army was supposed to operate. High up in the rules is the avoidance of any strife. The concern here was that a fight between two soldiers, on the same side, while in camp, might escalate into something far more serious.
If, after a little too much to drink, two knights began to exchange blows, it was incumbent on everybody else to separate them and calm things down. And if one soldier severely wounded another, then the punishment was severe.
Whosoever shall have wounded anyone and deny it shall then have his hand cut off if the wounded man can convict him by two truthful witnesses, not related to him. But if witnesses are lacking and he wishes to clear himself by an oath, the accuser may, if he pleases, refuse to accept the oath and challenge him to a duel.
If a soldier killed another, on his own side, in a row. The sentence was death.
Whosoever kills anyone, and has been convicted by two truthful witnesses not related to the slain man, shall suffer death. But if witnesses are lacking, and he wishes to purge himself by an oath, a close friend of the slain man may challenge him to a duel.
If an unknown knight rode into camp on a “palfrey”, a riding horse with an ambling gait, then he should be treated as non-threatening. But if he rode into camp on a “charger”, then that was a different situation.
If a strange knight shall come peacefully to the camp, riding a palfrey, without shield and weapons, if anyone injure him, he shall be judged a violator of the peace. But if he come to camp riding a charger, with a shield slung from his neck and a lance in his hand, if anyone injure him he has not broken the peace.
Looting and theft were to be avoided – especially despoiling churches or stealing from market traders. Setting fire to a village or a house would lead the culprit to be “shorn” and then branded on the cheek. As for taking a woman to bed, both parties faced dire penalties.
No one is to have a woman in his quarters; but he who dares to do so shall be deprived of all his accouterment and be considered excommunicate, and the woman’s nose shall be cut off.
Light-fingered servants who stole in camp faced different penalties according to whether they had been convicted for theft before.
If a servant commit theft and is detected, if he was not previously a thief he shall not be hanged for it, but shall be shorn, flogged, and branded on the cheek, and expelled from the army, unless his lord buy him with entire accouterment. If he was previously a thief, he shall be hanged.
Interestingly, soldiers who found “treasure” while on campaign could hold on to it. If, however, another soldier took their treasure, they were forbidden to seek revenge. Instead, they had to make a complain to the marshal through a kind of grievance procedure.
If you would like to know more about the Knights Templar, then get your hands on a copy of my book: The Knights Templar – History & Mystery. Published by Pen & Sword and available on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and WHSmith. Don’t miss out on your copy!
Indeed, this is a cultural tragedy.
Today Homs was being bombarded – again – so close to Krak des Chevaliers.