What was the role of a soldier in the middle ages?

Answer 1

Even when there were no major battles to be fought, soldiers in the Middle Ages were busy. Castles were constantly being defended against raiding neighbors. Foot soldiers were often peasants who were forced to fight by their barons.

Answer 2

There were :

Infantary

Axeman

Spearman

Swordman

Riding on something

knight

seige tower

Ranged

Archer

Battering Ram

Seige Catapult*

Catapult*

*Rrrtttyyyuuuiii's note: The difference between a seige catapult and a regular catapult is that a seige catapult shoots flaming arrows at the enemy castle and regular catapults launches boulders at the enemy or their castle. Also, the regular catapult has more range.

Answer 3

During the medieval period there is an important distinction to be made between 'soldiers' and members of the warrior elite. Men such as Knights were not soldiers in the truest sense, as mostly they were not paid for their military service, and indeed performed such service predominantly as part of the condition to hold their title and lands.

There are frequent references in the Early Middle Ages to mercenaries- and these were indeed the most common form of 'soldier'- being a paid proffessional. However a lot of armies were 'bulked out' by levied troops- men expected to fight as a condition of their citizenship. Such troops were known as 'militia', and were of varying quality in both arms and training.

Answer 4

The sizes of medieval armies varied quite a lot, of course.

At the Battle of Agincourt, which was one of the more memorable of the Middle Ages, the French army is thought to have been about 36,000, and the English had about 12,000.

The Battle of Stirling Bridge, one of the most important in the history of Scotland, is thought to have been fought by about 2300 Scots and about four times that number of English.

The numbers of people in armies were never recorded precisely. Estimates for some armies vary widely. The estimates of Frankish soldiers at the Battle of Tours vary from 15,000 to 80,000, and estimates of Muslim soldiers at the same battle are from 20,000 to 80,000.

The army Isabella of France led in her invasion of England in 1326 is variously estimated to have had 300 to 2000 soldiers.

Answer 5

In medieval times there weren't soldiers they were called knights. I guess they are kinda like soldiers though.

Answer 6

To be part of the cannon fodder of the army and pave the way so the knights could attack the enemy leaders.