stradiot banners

[jcspqr]

Aside from the winged lion standard of the Serinisima, what have you used for banners for stradiots?

Jim

[pikeman]

Hi Jim
I’m just beginning some stradiots and had no clue about a banner. Could you please share the art?
Thanks!

[jcspqr]

Stradiots were originally balkan mercenary light cavalry hired by the venetians in/from their Dalmatian territories.  They eventually made it over to Italy proper and were used by the Venetians in the Italian wars.  Eventually  I suspect the term stradiot become generic (like "xerox") for a type of light cavalry as opposed to strictly speaking balkan light cavalry in venetian service.  Eventually they were used by anyone who could get them.

Because of the venetian connection you often see stradiots with a venetian winged lion standard.  If you go to Battleflags or Petes Flags (ebay) you can find examples of venetian flags.

Jim

[Dr. Zombie]

Well as they are originally Dalmatians. I would suggest white with black spots..

I'll let myself out..

[Maxromek]

Do we know if they actually carried banners? They are depcited in period with pennons, but I don't recall them flying a banner.

[olicana]

I read somewhere, a year or two ago, that many stradiots in French service might well have been ‘archers’ told off from service with the Gendarmes to serve that purpose - a precursor to the ‘cheveaux-leger’ type. As said by others in this thread, the term seems to have been fairly generic.

Also, when it came to standards, mercenaries often took up a standard provided by their employer (e.g. France, Venice, etc.) when they were raised/contracted and oaths were sworn to serve under them. For example, one large contingent of Landsknechts raised for France carried flags bearing the white cross (of France) on various fields of mixed black and red (stripes, quarters, etc.).

On the 'different flags for different contingents' front might I also offer this: From the the very start of my Italian Wars collection I decided that all units should be able to carry ANY flag. I came up with this (which I think bears relaying at every opportunity):

http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-tip-flags.html











This simple idea allows me to field several armies using the same figures. Here, for example, some Swiss pikemen are being utilised as French Picard pikemen - I just changed their flags.