The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction
The Siete Partidas, compiled in the mid-13th century for the Castilian king Alfonso X el Sabio, constituted the code of law for Castile and later Spain. Despite the practicality of their instructions and principles on warfare, they are not well studied. This article will review the military provis...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Bern Open Publishing
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Periodica Duellatorum |
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| Online Access: | https://bop.unibe.ch/apd/article/view/7464 |
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| author | Jürg Gassmann |
| author_facet | Jürg Gassmann |
| author_sort | Jürg Gassmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Siete Partidas, compiled in the mid-13th century for the Castilian king Alfonso X el Sabio, constituted the code of law for Castile and later Spain. Despite the practicality of their instructions and principles on warfare, they are not well studied. This article will review the military provisions, paying special attention to commanders, the battlefield formations for infantry and cavalry, and the rules on booty and ransom, in the context of the time. While it is difficult to pinpoint unequivocal influences, the passages are demonstrably practical within the contemporary military doctrine and the ideals of chivalry. As such, they offer a unique insight into the mechanics of leadership, the battlefield formations of the High Middle Ages, as well as the crucial function of spoils as a source of status-compatible income for the knightly estate and lower nobility, so adding depth and texture to this little-studied yet essential aspect of mediaeval military, economic, and political organisation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c46ada9d0c374a62bc3295e4c886e17c |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2064-0404 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Bern Open Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Periodica Duellatorum |
| spelling | doaj-art-c46ada9d0c374a62bc3295e4c886e17c2025-08-02T18:50:34ZengBern Open PublishingActa Periodica Duellatorum2064-04042021-06-019110.36950/apd-2021-002The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical InstructionJürg Gassmann0independent scholarThe Siete Partidas, compiled in the mid-13th century for the Castilian king Alfonso X el Sabio, constituted the code of law for Castile and later Spain. Despite the practicality of their instructions and principles on warfare, they are not well studied. This article will review the military provisions, paying special attention to commanders, the battlefield formations for infantry and cavalry, and the rules on booty and ransom, in the context of the time. While it is difficult to pinpoint unequivocal influences, the passages are demonstrably practical within the contemporary military doctrine and the ideals of chivalry. As such, they offer a unique insight into the mechanics of leadership, the battlefield formations of the High Middle Ages, as well as the crucial function of spoils as a source of status-compatible income for the knightly estate and lower nobility, so adding depth and texture to this little-studied yet essential aspect of mediaeval military, economic, and political organisation.https://bop.unibe.ch/apd/article/view/7464Siete PartidasMiddle AgesMedieval MilitaryMedieval TacticsMedieval WarfareChivalry |
| spellingShingle | Jürg Gassmann The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction Acta Periodica Duellatorum Siete Partidas Middle Ages Medieval Military Medieval Tactics Medieval Warfare Chivalry |
| title | The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction |
| title_full | The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction |
| title_fullStr | The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction |
| title_short | The Siete Partidas: A Repository of Mediaeval Military and Tactical Instruction |
| title_sort | siete partidas a repository of mediaeval military and tactical instruction |
| topic | Siete Partidas Middle Ages Medieval Military Medieval Tactics Medieval Warfare Chivalry |
| url | https://bop.unibe.ch/apd/article/view/7464 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jurggassmann thesietepartidasarepositoryofmediaevalmilitaryandtacticalinstruction AT jurggassmann sietepartidasarepositoryofmediaevalmilitaryandtacticalinstruction |