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186
Florin Nicolae ARDELEAN
status 9 . Another crime sanctioned by the medieval military legislation of the
Hungarian kingdom was the forced occupation of noble and priest houses. The
punishment for such a transgression was not pre-established. These minor matters
were left for the captains of the army to judge 10 .
Although the autonomous principality inherited a significant amount of legislation
and the institutional structure from the period of the voievodat, changes started to
happen in the second part of the XVI century, even regarding military regulations.
Some of the authoritarian rulers of Transylvania managed to impose their will in the
political confrontation with the estates. One of them was Stephen Báthory (1571-1576
ruler of Transylvania and from 1576 to 1586 king of the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth and Transylvanian prince), who effectively controlled the internal
and external politics of the principality during his reign. Dating from his period we
have two military regulations elaborated after he was elected to the Polish-Lithuanian
throne, regulations that were also applied to his Transylvanian troops. The first set of
rules dates from 1577, when the army of Báthory was besieging the town of Danzig.
This elaborated regulation follows three major aspects: the discipline of the soldiers,
the organization and security of military camps and the non-fighting auxiliary groups
that followed the army. This regulation tired to impose some severe measures of
discipline:
Soldiers receiving regular payment were not allowed to leave the
camp for plunder forays. They were not allowed to take servants of other
members of the army into their service. Each had to obey the orders of the
king with no opposition.
If someone stole food, clothes or other objects belonging to other
soldiers was punished with death by hanging.
Fights between soldiers inside or outside the camp were forbidden.
Those who neglected this rule and caused injuries were punishable by death,
if the fight took place without the use of weapons the aggressors had their
arms cut.
All infantry and cavalry officers received a written password and, if
asked, they were obliged to communicate it to the commanders of the guards
(campiductore).
Soldiers in camp had to obey the signals given by drums and
trumpets of their own unit.
Starting a fire inside the camp, intentionally or by mistake, was
punishable by death.
Moving chariots or other transportation means inside the camp
was forbidden.
The innkeepers and other merchants were forbidden to enter the
camp receiving special places on the outskirts.
Slaughtering cattle and sheep inside the camp was forbidden.
9
Corpus Juris Hungarici, Tom I, Budae, 1882, Decretum Secundum, Budae Anno Domini 1454, art. 13,
p. 202.
10
Ibidem, Ludovicus II, Decretum Anno 1525, art. 22, p. 332.