Hostages in the Middle Ages

by Adam J. Kosto

In medieval Europe hostages were given, not taken. They were a means of guarantee used to secure transactions ranging from treaties to wartime commitments to financial transactions. In principle, the force of the guarantee lay in the threat to the life of the hostage if the agreement were broken but, while violation of agreements was common, execution of hostages was a rarity. Medieval hostages are thus best understood not as simple pledges, but as...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199651701
• ISBN13: 9780199651702
• Release Date: September 2012
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.3"