I 



U.I ■■ i< 



I I: 



n 



lOG 



A HISTORY OF 0A\ AUl'i. 



[period II. 



generally in use in the armies of the latter part of the 

 thirteenth, and during the beginning of the fourteenth 

 century, were invulnerable to the attack >f the militia 

 levies of the cities. 



Many contests took place in the various revolutions in 

 the Italian cities, between the men-at-arms and the 

 artizans and lower classes of the people. The weight of 

 armour rendered the horsemen unwieldy, and unless 

 they took possession of the streets by surprise, the popu- 

 lace could easily erect barricades, and defy any number 

 of the heavily armed lancers. If, however, a prince or 

 usurper could attack by surprise, he, as it was called, 

 " rode the city," that is, charged with his cavalry through 

 the streets, so as to prevent the people erecting barri- 

 cades.^ This expression is continually used by the his- 

 torians of the fourteenth century, and gives an idea of 

 the relative merits of the services at the time. 



The tactical formation of the troops of the chartered 

 cities was very simjjle in its character, and yet judicious, 

 inasmuch as the organisation was always complete. The 

 different trades or guilds formed the tactical divisions, 

 and each had its own banner, and a captain to lead it in 

 the field. Eribert, Archbishop of Milan in 1039, invented 

 a standard called the Carroccio, which formed a common 

 rallying point, the pivot of every movement. It was a 

 chariot or waggon painted with vermilion, and bearing 

 the city standard elevated upon it.^ This was intended 

 to give a sort of concentration to the army, and supplied 

 in a rude way the want of more regular tactics. For 

 some time the militia was mainly composed of infantry, 

 the proportion varying from six or ten to one. 



In time, as the burden of turning out for war began 

 to press heavily upon the industrious citizens, and as 

 they increased in numbers and wealth, the employment 

 of mercenary troops from abroad increased, and armies 

 gradually became less numerous, and the proportion of 

 heavy armed cuirassiers to the infantry much greater. 

 This was caused partly because the plate armour gave 

 the horsemen an immense advantage over the lighter 

 ' Hallam, i. 428. a Ibid. 466. 



