Double mercenary
A double mercenary is a mercenary or mercenary who received double or multiple pay because of his willingness to fight in the first line of battle and thus to bear the highest risk, or because of his special equipment and combat experience .
In the European mercenary armies of the Middle Ages, the twin mercenaries usually fought alongside the captains in the front row of the quarter-pile , the most widespread infantry battle order .
Also mercenaries that in dealing with the heavy and unwieldy Zweihander were trained, received this double pay; in early modern Germany they were even given a “master's certificate with the long sword”.
Sebastian Franck describes them in his " Chronica des gantzen Teutschen lands " very derogatory:
“Throughout the bank it is always an evil useless people, not a few then Munich and Pfaffen. If it is in the war, there is hardly anyone under a thousand who is content with his wages, sunder stabbing, hawen, gotslestern, listening, playing, murdering, burning, robbing, widows and wise men, ir common craft and ultimate entertainment. Whoever is cool and bold in this is the best and a free farmhand; he has to go ahead and is worthy of being a double soldier. "
literature
- Douglas Miller, John Richards: Landsknechte. 1486-1560. Siegler, Sankt Augustin 2004, ISBN 3-87748-636-3 .
- Thomas Arnold: The Renaissance at War. Cassell, London 2002, ISBN 0-304-36353-7 .
- Sebastian Franck : Chronica of the whole of Teutschen lands, all Teütschen peoples come from (m) s, names, dealings, good de (n) (unn) bad deeds [...]. Apiario, Bern 1539. (also Germaniae chronicon . 1538)
