The Germania of Tacitus supplies us with a detailed account of the institution of the Comitatus, which receives strong confirmation on every point from what we gather from other authentic sources. In his own words:—
“Illustrious birth or the great services of their fathers give the rank of princes even to young men: they are associated with the rest who have already made proof of their greater powers. Nor is there any shame in appearing among the comites[[294]]. Moreover, the Comitatus itself has its grades, according to the judgment of him they follow; and great is the emulation among the comites, as to who shall hold the highest place in the estimation of the prince, and among the princes, as to who shall have the most numerous and the bravest comites. This is dignity, this is power, to be ever surrounded with a troop of chosen youths, a glory in time of peace, and a support in war. Nor is it only in their own tribe, but in the neighbouring states as well, a name and glory, to be distinguished for the number and valour of the comitatus; for they are courted with embassies, and adorned with presents, and keep off wars by their very reputation. When it comes to fighting, it is dishonourable for the prince to be excelled in valour, for the comitatus not to equal the valour of the prince; but infamous, and a reproach throughout life, to return from battle the survivor of the prince. To defend and protect him, to reckon to his glory even one’s own brave deeds, this is the first and holiest duty. The princes fight for victory, the comites for the prince. If the state in which they spring is torpid with long peace and ease, the most of these young nobles voluntarily seek such nations as may be engaged in war, partly because inaction does not please this race, partly because distinction is more easy of attainment under difficulties. Nor can you keep together a great comitatus, save by violence and war: since it is from the liberality of the prince that they exact that war-horse, that bloody and victorious lance. For feasts and meals, ample though rude, take the place of pay. Wars and plunder supply the means of munificence; nor will you so readily persuade them to plough the land or wait with patience for the year, as to challenge enemies and earn wounds; seeing that it seems dull and lazy to acquire with sweat what you may win with blood[[295]].”
It would be difficult in a few lines to give anything like so clear and admirable an account of the peculiarities of the Comitatus, as Tacitus has left us in this vigorous sketch; and little remains but to show how his view is confirmed by other sources of information, and to draw the conclusions which naturally result from these premises.
To the influence and operation of these associations are justly attributed not only the conquests of the various tribes, but the most important modifications in the law of the people. As the proper name for the freeman is ceorl, and for the born-noble eorl, so is the true word for the comes, or comrade, gesíð. This is in close etymological connection with síð, a journey, and literally denotes one who accompanies another. The functions and social position of the gesíð led however to another appellation: in this peculiar relation to the prince, he is þegn, a thane, strictly and originally a servant or minister, and only noble when the service of royalty had shed a light upon dependence and imperfect freedom. Beówulf describes himself as the relative and thane of Hygelác: but his royal blood and tried valour make him also the head of a comitatus, and he visits Heort with a selected band of his own comrades, swǽse gesíðas: they, like himself, belong however to his lord, and are described as Hygelác’s beódgeneátas, heorðgeneátas (tischgenossen, heerdgenossen), sharers in the monarch’s table and hearth. A portion of the booty taken in war naturally became the property of the gesíðas; this almost follows from the words of Tacitus; and Saxo Grammaticus, who in this undoubtedly expresses a genuine fact, although after a peculiar fashion of his own, says of one of his heroes[[296]], “Proceres non solum domesticis stipendiis colebat, sed etiam spoliis ex hoste quaesitis: affirmare solitus, pecuniam ad milites, gloriam ad ducem redundare debere.” And again[[297]], “Horum omnium clientelam rex liberali familiaritate coluerat. Nam primis apud eum honoribus, habitum, cultos auro gladios, opimaque bellorum praemia perceperunt.” Thus also Hialto sings[[298]],
“Dulce est nos domino percepta rependere dona,
Acceptare enses, famaeque impendere ferrum.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enses theutonici, galeae, armillaeque nitentes,
Loricae talo immissae, quas contulit olim
Rolvo suis, memores acuant in praelia mentes.