Servants of the Elite

Although the relationship between knight and squire in medieval warfare is well known, less is known of a Celtic practice which shares a number of similarities. The Greek historian Diodorus wrote that elite warriors "bring into battle as their attendants free men chosen from among the poorer classes, whom they use as charioteers and shield bearers". These men were bound together by obligations of honour in much the same way that a young squire was bound to his knight.