Prisoner of war

Quick Facts: Who was Prisoner of war?

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Prisoner of war

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A captive of an enemy force during or after armed conflict.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.‎ Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a range of reasons. These may include isolating them from enemy combatants still in the field (releasing and repatriating them in an orderly manner after hostilities), demonstrating military victory, punishment, prosecution of war crimes, labour exploitation, recruiting or even conscripting them as combatants, extracting or collecting military and political intelligence, and political or religious indoctrination. For much of history, prisoners of war would often be slaughtered or enslaved. Early Roman gladiators could be prisoners of war, categorised according to their ethnic roots as Samnites, Thracians, and Gauls (Galli).

Career & Major Achievements

Homer's Iliad describes Trojan and Greek soldiers offering rewards of wealth to opposing forces who have defeated them on the battlefield in exchange for mercy, but such offers were not always accepted. Typically, victors made little distinction between enemy combatants and enemy civilians, although they were more likely to spare women and children. Sometimes the purpose of a battle, if not of a war, was to capture women, a practice known as raptio; the Rape of the Sabines involved, according to tradition, a large mass-abduction by the founders of Rome. Typically women had no rights, and were held legally as chattels. In the fourth century AD, St Acacius of Amida, touched by the plight of Persian prisoners captured in a recent war with the Roman Empire, who were held in his town under appalling conditions and destined for a life of slavery, took the initiative in ransoming them by selling his church's precious gold and silver vessels and letting them return to their country.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

For this he was later canonised. According to legend, during Childeric's siege and blockade of Paris in 464 the nun Geneviève (later canonised as the city's patron saint) pleaded with the Frankish king for the welfare of prisoners of war and met with a favourable response. 481–511) liberated captives after Genevieve urged him to do so. King Henry V's English army killed many French prisoners of war at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. This was done after a French raiding party returned to the main army after looting the English camp, Henry misinterpreted this as the French receiving reinforcements, and was afraid that the prisoners would rejoin the fight against the English.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1415: 1415 Milestone — King Henry V's English army killed many French prisoners of war at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
2. 1610: 1610 Milestone — The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Prisoner of war

True or False: “The practice of ransoming prisoners was universally accepted across all historical cultures and conflicts.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Feudal Japan, for instance, had no custom of ransoming prisoners of war, who could expect summary execution.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Amago Yoshihisa — Historical peer (Died in 1610) (1610): A daimyō of Izumo Province who fought the Mōri clan and later served under them.
• Caravaggio — Historical peer (Died in 1610) (1610): Master of Tenebrism: Italian Baroque painter known for dramatic realism.
• Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor — Historical peer (Born in 1415) (1415): Holy Roman Emperor and fourth King of the Romans from the House of Habsburg.
• Jan Hus — Historical peer (Died in 1415) (1415): Czech theologian and philosopher, key figure in the Bohemian Reformation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Prisoner of war