Comitatus was in ancient times the Latin term for an armed escort or retinue. The term is used especially in the context of Germanic warrior culture for a warband tied to a leader by an oath of fealty and describes the relations between a lord and his retainers, or thanes (OE þegn). The concept is generally considered by scholars to be more of a literary trope rather than one of historical accuracy. Scholars Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson describe the comitatus more fully:An heroic warrior brought up in this [comitatus] tradition would show a reckless disregard for his life. Whether he was doomed or not, courage was best, for the brave man could win lof [glory among men] while the coward might die before his time. This is the spirit which inspired the code of the comitatus. While his lord lived, the warrior owed him loyalty unto death. If his lord were killed, the warrior had to avenge him or die in the attempt. The lord in his turn had the duty of being generous to his warriors. He had to be the great fighter to attract men, a man of noble character and a generous giver of feasts and treasure to hold them.The comitatus ideal is seen in Old English heroic literature, such as The Battle of Maldon, Beowulf, The Battle of Brunanburh,The Battle of Finnsburh, and the story of "Cynewulf and Cyneheard." The comitatus is also examined through a Christian context in works such as Dream of the Rood, where Christ is depicted more as a warrior-king doing battle with the Devil and accepts physical defeat for spiritual victory. The rood, or cross, in the poem acts as a retainer "who is forced by his very loyalty to become the instrument of his beloved Lord's execution." In modern times, it is the (neo-)Latin term for a county (cf comes).(See :la:Comitatus.) See also posse comitatus, meaning "power/force of the county" (comitatus is 4th declension so the genitive termination is ūs). Origins The term comitatus is credited to the Roman historian Tacitus. In his treatise Germania (98.AD), the comitatus is the bond existing between a Germanic warrior and his lord, ensuring that the former never leaves the field of battle before the latter. The translation is as follows: Tacitus stressed the abnegation of the follower, and his dependence on his patron, whose prestige rested on his ability to successfully