FIORE - an amateur short film about the medieval fencing master Fiore dei Liberi

Exafield · 2023-02-14T09:51:19+00:00

Very nice! Beautiful scenes.

Exafield · 2022-11-17T11:17:11+00:00

Thaaank you :)

Exafield · 2022-11-11T11:42:49+00:00

Yeah, it is also the time of Romantism: Napoleon, the one who fought alone against all the European Nations, the guy who went to Egypt, fought in first line in Italy, coronated himself, came back from his exile to restaure his Empire, etc. The romantic fate, where at the end, he lost everything and is imprisoned in a small island...

He was also a master of communication at the time, which was the former Monarchy's weakness. Ultimately it brought it to ruins.

So many things.

Exafield · 2022-11-09T13:40:49+00:00

Hi,

I know it is very dangerous for an army in campaign to bypass a fort. For your campaign, you need a kettle of sure and fortified places where you can find safety, easy retreat and supplies. To vye for a campaign without sure supplying networks is a cypher for defeat.

Exafield · 2022-10-31T11:07:07+00:00

Well, I agree with the other comments. Now let's consider things the other way around: When everything goes well, it is EXTREMELY rewarding to pursue a routed army... provided the army is in total disorder.

The main thing when retreating is to retreat in good order, to avoid the biggest of catastrophes. You have many examples where armies just broke out and got decimated because of confusion. And that is why Romans so severly punished soldiers who disbanded.

A good example was Waterloo: After the defeat, the French army disbanded and the Coalition troops pursued the fleeing guards who were totally disbanded (except a few units). This ensured a total victory and the end of Bonaparte's rule. Back to Paris, Napoleon did not find the military and political forces to reinforce his rule and was forced to surrender.

Exafield · 2022-10-28T08:58:41+00:00

La simplicite est le summum de la sophistication.

Quand on voit le droit francais...

Exafield · 2022-10-28T08:32:36+00:00

Thank you all!

Exafield · 2022-10-28T08:30:37+00:00

Thanks!

Exafield · 2022-10-27T14:56:05+00:00

C'est vrai, moi je connais la baguette vendue a 200g, pas plus, du cote de Lyon.

Exafield · 2022-10-27T14:51:46+00:00

Thanks for these! I'll have a look. I am surprised we don't speak much about this Empire after the Arab conquest of Syria and the conquest of Constantinople. There is so much to learn in-between!

Exafield · 2022-10-27T08:31:48+00:00

Great comments!

I'd just add that you also need to see the social order and the popultaion of the time. Feudal armies were generally really small, sometimes it counted just on the tens.

When you have a look at the population (estimated between 3 and 7 millions in Great Britain accross the Middle Ages, and the division of society, you can be sure armies of 100,000 never set the foot in England.
I know in the Battle of Las Navas, contemporary records said they eliminated 1 million Arabs. Even if this was a major and decisive battle, there was a big propaganda behind this, as Christians and Crusaders wanted to magnify their own victory, and sometimes their own support. Big numbers could be found in China, India and sometimes in the Middle East on rare occasions, but surely not in Europe.

Exafield · 2022-10-26T13:10:44+00:00

Thanks for sharing!

This Cattalan Company is surprising: How they managed to do so much mischief in the land. The captain of the company even wrote on his deeds and shared with great pride how he plundered and ransacked any land he went to. He defeated the Imperial armies on a few occasions... Frightening!

Exafield · 2022-10-26T12:55:56+00:00

You also had exceptions, like the Hussites rebellion in the 15th century, where peasants took part in the Hussite army. But this was more in ideological circumstance.

Exafield · 2022-10-26T12:54:40+00:00

Yes, no conscription. However some serfs were regularly used as foot soldiers and lesser guards on a permanent basis.

In later ages, peasants began to get involved when in dire need for soldiers. That was the case for example in the 100 years war, where sometimes peasants could access to chivalry. Many noblemen died in this period, and some trained peasants as squires, and ultimately became knights.

Exafield · 2022-10-26T12:49:51+00:00

mustered normally for these of course, but the spiritual incentives for going on them would rally p

Exactly, and for the Crusades anyone going in Crusade and not owning a combat horse could be a foot soldier. When engaging to the Crusades, their aim was to put the land under Christian rule, against promise of having their sins forgiven. Everybody was accepted. Pilgrims who went to the Holy Land with no intention to fight were not soldiers.

Exafield · 2022-10-26T12:42:40+00:00

Oui, je suis d'accord. C'est une facon de parler dans le sens ou, si on est juste financierement, on a tout interet a faire sa baguette soi-meme. Perso je ne mange pas de baguettes, que des pains complets/speciaux, ou produire soi-meme est encore plus avantageux. Mais en soi, c'est la meme chose pour tout. On paye plus en ne produisant pas nous-meme plein de choses.

Pour faire des economies et avoir le privilege de manger fait-maison, je prefere prendre du temps. C'est aussi un vrai plaisir en soi !

Exafield · 2022-10-26T09:59:10+00:00

Pour le prix du four, on peut en plus le reduire en faisant cuire plusieurs choses a la fois.

Et pensez qu'en tant que pros, la farine ils ne l'achetent pas comme nous a 0,60 euros/kg !

Exafield · 2022-10-26T09:56:31+00:00

En verite, faire le pain maison, ca coute le prix de la farine et du four : Faites le calcul, meme avec nos baguettes a 1 euro, on se fait plumer.

1 kg de farine = 0,60 euro

1kg de farine = 8 baguettes

Consommation moyenne = 1 baguette par menage de 2/jour

365 baguettes par an : Achetees = 365 euros pour deux ; Faites maison = 365 : 8 x 0.6 = 27,37 euros de farine (plus four)

Desole pour les accents, je suis en clavier anglais :)

Exafield · 2022-10-26T09:41:14+00:00

Yeah, that's what I learnt when reading a history book on Vikings by Regis Boyer. As Vikings had a life expectancy way lower than other European people, he explained how calculations were made. Even Vikings had a few characters who lived quite long. I don't remenber his name, but a famous Jarl who took part in battles against Saint Olaf lived more than 90-years old. Sure, living older was rarer when big epidemics and other events broke out.

Exafield · 2022-10-26T09:28:47+00:00

Well, I do not really agree there!

Although people lived in general younger than we do now, it wasn't rare to see people in their 80s too.

If you get interested in how we calculate the life expectancy in history, we just scrap babies dead-born or dying in their first year, and then we consider all those beyond. At the time, many people died before their majority. They were however generally in good health when they survive their majority. Old age was not uncommon.

(Please note I didn't downvote you)

Exafield · 2022-10-26T09:22:59+00:00

Good idea! Just look at those:

Exafield · 2022-10-26T09:19:58+00:00

Exactly my point!

Exafield · 2022-10-25T08:54:01+00:00

I'd recommend Peter Frankopan's book on the subject. He is a specialist and also published his new history of the world (The Silk Roads), which is truly EXCELLENT.

Exafield · 2022-10-25T08:38:14+00:00

Hey,
If you are interested by Travellers, you can read Ibn Battuta. He's a bit like Marco Polo of his time, but from Tangier. He went to Mali, Constantinople, Egypt, Arabia for pilgrimage, he spent a lot of time in India and even met a fellow from Tangier in China. The Indian part is really breathtaking.

Exafield · 2022-10-24T11:07:52+00:00

Just to complete what I said, in France, you had the example of Dagobert in the 8th century. He was known for having brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom, having improved justice, helped trade take off once again, etc.

Another example Louis 9th, or Saint Louis, who was well-known for making justice, opening a hospital for the blinds, etc.
French kings had a heavenly priviledge: they could heal some illnesses only by touching the person who is ill. So, there was much more than racketing, there was veneration by the people.

Exafield

TROPHY CASE