7. You Might Be Captured For Ransom
Keep in mind that military leaders did not equip their soldiers, nor did they pay them for their efforts. Their pay came in the form of looting, which often included taking people prisoner and holding them for ransom. In 1415 following his victory at Agincourt, the armies of the English king, Henry V, accidentally took so many prisoners that he could not provide food or prison cells for all of them. To solve the problem, he ordered that all of them be executed; the total number of prisoners of war that he ordered killed is unclear.
Your fortunes might be a bit better if you were a knight or some other nobleman, as you could be held prisoner with a ransom held over your head. If someone could pay your ransom, you could be returned home. However, your captors would probably take your armor and horse as part of their booty. During the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, taking prisoners for ransom became so commonplace that an entire marketplace developed. Prisoners of specific rankings were held for certain amounts and could be exchanged for each other. There were even rules for payment, agreed upon by both sides.
