During the High Middle Ages, knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility.
In the Early Middle Ages in Europe, knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors. Knighthood finds origins in the Greek hippeis and hoplite (ἱππεῖς) and Roman eques and centurion of classical antiquity. For the Roman social class sometimes referred to as 'knights', see Equites.Ī 14th century depiction of the 13th century German knight Hartmann von Aue, from the Codex Manesse.Ī knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity.
