Codice prodotto: L10339
The ideal of the Christian knight developed in the Middle Ages from the Frankish tradition of armored horsemen and the need to integrate the warlike nobility into an ethical value system. Originally a purely military rank, knighthood was transformed under the influence of the Church into the ideal of the "Miles Christianus," the Christian warrior who placed his weapons in the service of faith and justice. The knights took a solemn oath to protect the defenseless, especially widows and orphans, and to defend the Church against infidels and oppressors. Many of these men attained sainthood, either by falling as martyrs in the Crusades, sacrificing their lives for Christian virtues, or, after a period of combat, making a radical conversion to an ascetic and charitable life.