I have read that the Genoese were considered the preeminent crossbowmen of their era. They fought at Crecy and they fought at Kulikovo. And they lost both times. Genoa also fought with Venice and lost there too eventually.
So how can we try to pin a national or ethic identity on the image in VMs Sagittarius? Can we call in a panel of experts? Obviously this topic has been pounded into the ground repeatedly. Can it even be said with any clarity that the VMs illustration actually provides sufficiently distinctive markers to make an accurate identification rather than just a generic representation of a crossbowman - leaving it to the reader's grasp of historical knowledge?
So how can we try to pin a national or ethic identity on the image in VMs Sagittarius? Can we call in a panel of experts? Obviously this topic has been pounded into the ground repeatedly. Can it even be said with any clarity that the VMs illustration actually provides sufficiently distinctive markers to make an accurate identification rather than just a generic representation of a crossbowman - leaving it to the reader's grasp of historical knowledge?