Almogavars

Almogavars were light infantry and raiders from the Crown of Aragon, especially Catalonia, active in Iberian and Mediterranean wars during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Almogavar battle cry: The war cry “Desperta ferro” (“Awaken, iron”) associated with Almogavar attacks. Accounts describe the cry accompanying their charge as they struck flint against weapons.
Crown of Aragon: A composite monarchy centered on Aragon and Catalonia that expanded across the western Mediterranean. Its rulers recruited and deployed Almogavars in campaigns across Iberia and overseas.
War of the Sicilian Vespers: A conflict beginning in 1282 that ended Angevin rule in Sicily and drew in Aragonese forces. Almogavars fought in the Aragonese intervention that helped secure Sicily.
Byzantine–Catalan relations: Political and military relations between the Byzantine Empire and Catalan powers. The Company’s service and later conflict transformed its relationship with Byzantium.
Light infantry: Infantry equipped for mobility and speed rather than heavy armor or sustained formation combat. Almogavars relied on movement and surprise instead of the equipment of heavy cavalry.
Catalonia: A historical region in northeastern Iberia with its own language and political institutions. Catalonia was the homeland most closely associated with Almogavar forces.
Catalan Company in Anatolia: The Company’s campaigns in Byzantine Anatolia against Turkish forces in the early fourteenth century. These expeditions made Almogavar warfare notorious across the eastern Mediterranean.
Catalan Company in Greece: The Catalan Company’s establishment of rule in parts of Greece after its 1311 victory. Almogavar campaigning produced a Catalan-ruled period in the former Duchy of Athens.
Javelin: A light spear designed to be thrown at an enemy. Javelins suited the fast, skirmishing style attributed to Almogavar fighters.
Reconquista: The centuries-long expansion of Christian-ruled Iberian kingdoms into territories governed by Muslim states. Border fighting during this expansion helped form the setting for Almogavar raiding.

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