Armed priests

Throughout history, armed priests or soldier priests have been recorded. Distinguished in the modern era from military chaplains who served the military or civilians as spiritual guidance (non-combatans), these priests took up arms and fought in conflicts (combatants). The term warrior priests is usually used for armed priests of the antiquity and middle ages, and of historical tribes.

History
In Greek mythology, the Curetes were identified as armed priests. In Ancient Rome, the Salii who were armed priests carried sacred shields through the city during the March festivals. Livy (59 BC–17 AD) mentions armati sacerdotes (armed priests). The Aztecs had a vanguard of warrior priests who carried deity banners and made sacrifies on the battlefield.

Legacy
The "Pyrrhic" dance in Crete is said to have been the ritual dance of armed priests.

Notable groups

 * Sōhei, Buddhist monks in feudal Japan

Notable people

 * Eastern Orthodoxy
 * Vukajlo Božović, Serbian Orthodox archpriest, active during the Balkan Wars
 * Bogdan Zimonjić (1813–1909), Serbian Orthodox priest, active during the 1852–62 and 1875–78 uprisings in Herzegovina
 * Luka Lazarević, Serbian Orthodox priest, active during the Serbian Revolution
 * Rista K. Popović (1870–1917)
 * Jevto Popović
 * Prokopije Vujišić
 * Jovan Grković-Gapon
 * Stevan Dimitrijević


 * Catholicism
 * Bernardino de Escalante (1537–after 1605), Catholic priest
 * Archbishop Turpin, Legendary (insofar as military accomplishments) member of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers d. c. 800