Brigands and Brigadiers: The Problem of Banditry and the Military in Nineteenth-Century Greece
Journal: Athens Journal of History
Year: 2018

Before the evolution of modern standing armies of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, the recruitment and conduct of military units usually depended on their commanders. These officers were often charged by authorities to recruit, train, maintain and command a body of men in return for a lump sum or contract for a set amount of time. Formations, from company to regiment, often became proprietary, and could be purchased, inherited, and sold. The lack of employment in the military sphere would