Duel

Duels, combats between two armed individuals, are usually associated with affairs of honor. The duel had its roots in the medieval* practice of trial by battle, a method often authorized by officials to settle disputes between gentlemen in a public arena. This type of dueling ended by the mid-1500s. Thereafter, dueling came under fire and efforts were even made to prosecute duelers. At the Council of TRENT (1545–1563), the Roman Catholic Church condemned dueling. In 1566 France declared unauthorized dueling punishable by death. JAMES I of England waged a personal crusade against dueling and even wrote a treatise* against it.

None of these measures ended dueling, which continued to be popular in the late 1500s and early 1600s. According to estimates of the day, hundreds of European noblemen died every year in duels. The greatest number of duels took place in Italy, France, and England. The practice was rare in Spain, and only became popular in Germany and Holland in the late 1600s. Stage plays of the time, particularly in England, frequently featured scenes involving duels.

Many people criticized dueling, but others defended and glorified it. Despite the church's position, the Jesuits* tended to support the practice on the grounds that a man's honor was as valuable as his property and should be defended. French philosopher Jean BODIN believed that dueling offered an outlet for aristocrats and kept them from rebelling against the government.

Why did dueling become so popular during the Renaissance? Part of the answer is the elaborate code of honor developed by Italian humanists* of the 1400s and 1500s. The code specified how gentlemen should relate to each other, described various levels of insults, and explained how to respond to them. It became a mark of noble birth to settle matters of personal honor by dueling. Another factor in the increase in dueling was the development of the rapier—a light, thin, needle-sharp sword. Easier to handle than older, heavier swords, the rapier enabled gentlemen to walk around armed, to draw at a moment's notice, and to inflict grave injury.

Changes in the status and role of the aristocracy* also contributed to the growth of dueling. On the battlefield, military training and teamwork became more important than individual heroism and noble birth. Common foot solders, rather than nobles on horseback, now decided battles. At the same time, the ranks of the nobility grew as kings handed out many new titles. James I of England, for example, raised money in the early 1600s by selling titles to many commoners. Aristocrats worried about losing their special status. Dueling allowed them to show their nobility through a concern for personal honor, which would set them above the rest of society.