Captain Alexander Sieniawski, Coat of Arms Leliwa, and his Cavalry Unit in 1557

Abstract

This article is devoted to the distinguished commander of the Polish mercenary army, Aleksander Sieniawski (c. 1490—1568) and his horse unit (rota) from 1557. A. Sieniawski was officer in the Polish mercenary army in 1512—1563. The main part of the text is an overview of the composition and armament of the detachment commanded by the captain in 1557. The analysis of information on the equipment of soldiers allows us to recreate the actual condition of the troops guarding the Ruthenian lands of the Kingdom of Poland. Most of the riders in this unit were soldiers armed in Hussar style, the second group were riders armed in the Cossack manner. The equipment of soldiers shows the influence of the eastern art of war, manifested by the use of such elements of armament as, for example, bechter, sahajdaks, helmets of the eastern type, etc. In terms of the composition and armament of soldiers, A. Sieniawski’s rota should be considered a unit typical of this period serving in the Ruthenian lands of The Kingdom of Poland.