Condottieri (Ital., conductors), the common designation of adventurers who, principally in Italy, during the 14th and 15th centuries, kept bands of soldiers which they hired out to the party that paid best. The burghers of the Italian municipalities, having by their control of the commerce with Asia become wealthy and prosperous, were slow to take up arms and risk their lives and fortunes for every petty quarrel with neighboring states. Hence they hired others to fight for them, not for a certain term of years, but by the job. The condot-tieri, then, were a kind of contractors, who, when a war was impending, made their bids accordingly. Having underbid one another in price, they not unfrequently increased their pay by plunder and booty. When the job was finished, they were loath to discharge their bands, but in order to keep them together they were compelled to fight and plunder on their own account. There was a kind of good fellowship between the condottieri, which they observed even when fighting under different colors. When one party was hired to put down another, the result generally was only a bloodless fight, the peaceable citizens being the only sufferers. Among themselves they had rules of warfare of their own.

For instance, when they made a prisoner of their own class, they merely relieved him of the valuables he carried on his person and set him free without requiring ransom, while every outsider was made to pay heavily for his liberation. In the 15th century their wars were frequently mere shams. Thus, at a great battle near Zagonera in 1423, there were only three men killed; and in 1467 a battle was fought near Molinella between the condottieri of the pope and those of Naples, in which there was not even a single man hurt. Not infrequently they changed their allegiance on the very field of battle when they were offered better pay by the enemy; nor did they hesitate to double or treble the price agreed upon after every real or sham victory.