[Eric Myers]

A friend of mine is a comic book artist, working on a story about the arrest of the Templar lead Jacques de Molay in 1307, and is looking for some information about the clothing and armor of the time, specifically of those who likely actually seized or arrested him. Would these people have been knights, or would the king (Philip the Fair) have had a special guard that performed this function, or would it have been simple soldiers, or what? Would armor still be pretty much mail, sur coat, and a helmet like a chapel-de-fer? Any advice, either textual or pointers towards good pictorial references, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

[Lafayette C Curtis]

Very probably men-at-arms--wouldn't de Molay have found it a bit insulting if the people taking him into custody were nothing more than mere foot? Of course, they probably had some assistance from other troops as well. I recall hearing about a French royal police force composed of archers but I'm not sure if 1) this force already existed (or still existed) in the early 14th century and 2) the "archers" were really archers rather than a different kind of troop that were only archers in name like the late 15th- and early 16th-century "archers" in the French Ordonnance companies.

Anyway, I'm not sure that the arrestors would necessarily have appeared in armor either, since the arrest might have been conducted in a "civilian" situation. After all, a quick peek at the Wikipedia article gives me this:

[Sean Flynt]

Given the religious aspect, your friend could take a cue from medieval depictions of the arrest of Jesus. Those almost invariably show a gaggle of common soldiers (in either light or no armour) accompanied by a better-equipped officer. A Templar probably would appreciate the symbolism.

[Eric Myers]

Good points guys, thanks.

[Lin Robinson]

[David McElrea]

While I am largely in agreement with Lin, one small point...

[Lin Robinson]

One portion of the arrest orders, the details of the procedures to be used and the charges, was written in French. Edward Burman, in "The Templars - Knights of God", opines that this was for the French officials charged with carrying out the orders, while the Latin portions were for the clergy, who would be present, and by whose authority as church officers the orders of arrest were written out. This is, of course, subject to interpretation, but it is from this that Mr. Burman, and I concur, concludes that members of both estates were to be present at the arrests.

[GG Osborne]

Okay, I'm going to jump into the fray with some thoughts. The Knights Templar were arguably the best trained, best equipped and best funded heavy troops in Europe at the time. You just don't send a rabbit go knocking on the door of the lion with an arrest warrant. Since the whole shebang was orchestrated by the King, I imagine a force of royal household and other heavily armed knights were involved. History records that the Templars pretty much gave up without any armed resistance. No resistance from a group hardened by years of fighting in the deserts of Palestine and other hard campaigning all over Europe just a few years earlier? I have a hard time swallowing that concept. I have an idea that either one of two things occurred: (1) overwhelming force was used or (2) total stealth and surprise. Frankly, its the lack of these elements that has given rise to so many of the Templar myths. Why would such a rich and powerful order just 'give up' knowing that incarceration in the Middle Ages was not a pleasant idea in the first place much less if the charge was treason and blasphemy. And this from the nation that gave dungeons the oulette? Nah, I have an idea that these knights were overwhelmed by a much superior force in a coup d'main of surprise. Just my thoughts!

[Lin Robinson]