Soldat med hagebøsse (arkebuse) 1595

This engraving shows a soldier with an arquebus. It was created by an anonymous artist. The most striking symbol here is the arquebus itself, a portable firearm that revolutionized warfare. Yet this is not merely a depiction of military might; notice how the soldier holds a forked staff. The staff is not merely a tool to support the heavy weapon, it echoes the classical motif of the club, carried by Hercules. Hercules, a symbol of strength, was revered in antiquity but the Renaissance saw a resurgence of interest in this icon, a kind of cultural echo. Here, we see the forked staff, no longer a crude club, but an elegant accessory, mirroring the soldier’s decorative tassels and ruff. This subtle transformation reflects a culture grappling with its past, adapting and refining ancient symbols to fit new realities. The echoes of antiquity resound even in the theater of war.