Thomas of Argos: The Greek Mercenary Who Led an Army for England’s King Henry VIII

Thomas of Argos was a Greek mercenary who served King Henry VIII of England successful the 16th century. Credit: Quinto Cenni / Hans Holbein the Younger / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

In 1 of history’s lesser-known but fascinating episodes, a Greek mercenary recovered himself astatine the caput of a set of soldiers of luck warring for the king of England during the 16th century.

Thomas of Argos was a Greek mercenary skipper of a portion of stratioti (Greek: στρατιώτες), elite airy cavalry soldiers from the Balkans who made a surviving selling their services arsenic warriors crossed Europe betwixt the 15th and 18th centuries.

Thomas was accompanied by Nikandros Noukios, who recorded galore of his exploits successful conflict successful Scotland and France.

Greek mercenaries successful the 16th century

The stratioti (also spelled stradioti) were mostly of Greek and Albanian origin, though immoderate besides came from different parts of the Balkans.

Several scholars person theorized that the sanction for the portion was an Italian translation of a Byzantine Greek word that much mostly referred to a soldier. This is feasible since the stratioti archetypal arrived successful Italy looking for employment during the aboriginal Renaissance aft the autumn of the Byzantine Empire.

Concerning their armament, the historiographer Nicholas C. J. Pappas comments that “The bulk of sources bespeak that they were equipped with sabers, oregon one-edged swords, maces and a abbreviated lance with robust points connected each extremity known arsenic an arzagaye oregon assagaye.”

“Other sources bespeak that they whitethorn person been equipped with bows arsenic well. They besides seemed to person carried a benignant of eared dagger, which saw wide usage successful Italy,” continues Pappas.

Shields and lances are different commonly attested items successful the armament of the stratioti. In aboriginal periods, they adopted gunpowder weapons too.

According to astir sources, the stratioti wore small oregon nary armor. When they did, they mostly look to person chosen airy linen armor oregon chainmail. Some sources picture them arsenic wearing a substance of Balkan and Turkish styles, though it is apt that they adopted much Western styles arsenic they traveled and fought passim Europe.

By the clip Thomas of Argos was serving the king of England arsenic a mercenary successful the 16th century, it is rather imaginable that his troops had adopted immoderate of the section bluish European weaponry, armor, and covering connected an ad-hoc improvised basis.

In some of these depictions of stratioti, the soldiers tin beryllium seen wearing a distinctive benignant of chapeau that astir apt originated successful Albania. Given the adjacent relation betwixt the stratioti and this benignant of hat, it is apt that it was adopted by stratioti of assorted nationalities from Albanian mercenaries they whitethorn person mixed with successful the aforesaid units. Credit: QaifarShqiptari / CC By-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

The stratioti established a estimation successful Europe for being among the champion airy cavalry units disposable to hire. They employed a scope of tactics including hit-and-run, ambushes, feigned retreats, and different analyzable maneuvers to execute their objectives. These tactics were developed by combining Byzantine and Ottoman subject practices, arsenic good arsenic those of respective Balkan countries.

A Greek mercenary successful work to the king of England

During the 16th century, astatine slightest 3 Greek mercenary captains pledged their services to the king of England, Henry VIII. They were Thomas of Argos, Theodore Luchisi, and Antonios Stesinos.

Thomas was named the wide commandant of the stratioti employed by Herny VIII astatine Calais successful France. Most of the cavalrymen nether his bid look to person been Greek mercenaries from the Peloponnese, but it is imaginable that immoderate were besides Hellenized Albanians oregon Greek-speaking soldiers from elsewhere successful the Balkans.

Most of what we cognize astir the Greek mercenary soldiers successful Henry VIII’s service appears successful the writings of Nikandros Noukois, a Greek from Corfu who ended up successful England connected a diplomatic ngo sent by Venice.

We cognize from Nikandros that Thomas and the Greek mercenaries fought some the Scottish and the French for the English King. The stratioti took portion successful raids and incursions crossed the River Tweed that separates England and Scotland.

In 1 peculiarly colorful recollection, Nikandros recounts a code fixed by Thomas of Argos to his men earlier they fought a numerically superior unit of French troops astatine the Siege of Boulogne.

Thomas is recorded to person said: “Comrades, arsenic you spot we are successful the utmost parts of the world, nether the work of a King and a federation successful the farthest north. And thing we brought present from our state different than our courageousness and bravery. Thus, bravely we basal against our enemies due to the fact that their numbers cannot lucifer our virtue. We are children of the Greeks and we are not acrophobic of the barbarian horde. …. Therefore, courageous and orderly fto america march to the enemy, … and fto america beryllium with our enactment the celebrated since olden times virtuousness of the Greeks.”

Despite facing a unit of astir 1,000 French soldiers, with lone 550 nether his ain command, Thomas was capable to prevail successful the battle. The Greeks ambushed the French astatine dawn arsenic they came from Boulogne. The warring was mostly astatine adjacent scope involving swords and lances.

360 French were slain whereas lone 35 Greek mercenaries were killed. Thomas was himself wounded successful battle. Henry VIII was immensely pleased and awarded the Greek mercenary skipper an yearly salary.

After the Siege of Boulogne concluded successful 1546 with an English victory, Thomas and Nikandros parted ways. The erstwhile went backmost to England and the second returned to Italy.

Without Nikandros contiguous to grounds his exploits, it is not known for definite what became of Thomas. Some scholars deliberation that a antheral called Thomas Bouas who was executed successful 1546 by the French successful Turin, was successful information Thomas of Argos, but determination is nary conclusive grounds that this was the case.