In the account of the Third Samnite War (298–290 BC), Livy records a special commitment of the Samnite Linen Legion that faced the Romans at Aquilonia in 293 BC. The oath of this élite formation required discipline and sacrifice to a greater extent than the obligations of the other Samnite troops and the Roman military oath of these times. According to Livy, the Linen Legion’s soldiers swore not to flee the battlefield and to instantly kill anyone from among themselves who would try to run away. Threatening soldiers to kill them on the spot in case of desertion in the face of the enemy and issuing such an order during battle was a widespread practice in the Roman army as well as in other armies of different epochs. It appears that in the Samnite picked troops, it was the military oath itself that included the obligation to punish the fugientes immediately. Strengthening military discipline and soldiers’ sworn commitments was a systemic solution aimed at enhancing combat effectiveness of the army in situations of extreme danger. Analogies can be drawn between the Samnite case and examples of Greek and Roman military oaths reinforced in the face of an invader. The peculiar clause of the Linen Legion’s oath may be seen as one of such systemic measures. The article examines the reasons for its use by the Samnites and attempts to demonstrate the credibility of this detail given by Livy.

Lecture lists known as rotules constitute an important source of information on the past history of the University of Bologna. The Bolognese archives (Archivio di stato) also contain preserved minutes, a kind of a rough draft, of rotules. In the minutes, the university scribe took the liberty of making notes on the margins, providing us with very interesting source material concerning the professors teaching at the Bolognese Alma Mater Studiorum, especially at the beginning of the 16th century. Many such notes can be found in the rotule draft from the academic year of 1506/1507, and these are the subject of the analysis presented in this paper. The notes contain interesting remarks, sometimes quite biting, on the university lecturers. An important measure of the popularity of their courses was the number of students attending them. The vast majority of the lecturers had no difficulties attracting a dozen or so students to their classes, but there also were some who failed to encourage even a few to listen to their lectures. The analysed draft of a university rotule is an important source, offering insights into the life of the University of Bologna in the early 16th century.

The beginnings of Sigismund I the Old’s reign, despite the lack of sources, have been of interest to researchers for a long time. The achievements of Polish historiography have illuminated the first years of the Jagiellon king’s rule in the Kingdom of Poland relatively well, slightly less comprehensively in Lithuania. Much less space has been devoted to the development of Sigismund I the Old’s foreign policy and its practical implementation, understood as establishing diplomatic relations with foreign royal courts. Thanks to the insightful works of Krzysztof Baczkowski, studies on Polish-Hungarian relations are a positive exception to the general rule. If we want to continue research on the formation of Sigismund I’s diplomacy, it is impossible to ignore the problem of Polish-Turkish relations, also in the international aspect. In studying the subject it is important to pay attention to issues such as the organisation, costs, technical solutions, and personal aspects of parliamentary missions. In my opinion, the figure of Stanisław Szafraniec, Starykoń coat of arms, and his role in the foreign policy of Sigismund I is a good example upon which to base the discussion of the above-mentioned issues.

The presented research is based on source materials regarding magnate pre-wedding negotiations. The handwritten notes were made on the occasion of the second marriage of Józef Scipion del Campo (died 1743), the Lithuanian court marshal, with Teresa Barbara née Radziwiłł (died 1780). The subject of the analysis are preserved documents revealing a number of legal and property-related problems that determined the process of the pre-wedding negotiations. Scipion del Campo sought to tie the knot with the wealthy daughter of Mikołaj Faustyn Radziwiłł, counting on tangible benefits that could be brought to him by the affinity with the influential family. The analysis of the unique source materials has made it possible to trace the negotiation process preceding the marriage, along with the identification of the most important problem points. The preserved documents prove that it was possible to change the final arrangements (dowry, annuity, some economical aspects). The analysis significantly enriches knowledge about the matrimonial policy implemented in the noble circles of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

* Artykuł powstał w wyniku badań prowadzonych w ramach grantu Narodowego Centrum Nauki pt. „Dobrodziejki i klienci. Specyfika patronatu kobiecego i relacji klientalnych w czasach saskich”, nr rej. 2015/19/B/HS3/01797.

The Free State of Pszczyna was inhabited by many Polish knightly families. One of the most important was the Zborowski family of Zborów, Jastrzębiec coat of arms. The article discusses their estates from the moment they appeared in Bojszowy in the first half of the 17th century and the change in their holdings until the end of the 18th century, when the last heir of the family in the land of Pszczyna died. Over the course of two centuries, the family owned properties in 10 towns. Bojszowy, Ćwiklice and Rudołtowice, which were the seats of the knights belonging to the Zborowski dynasty, remained in the family’s hands the longest.

The aim of the article is to present the activities of lower Realschule schools, which were a type of vocational schools operating in Galicia from 1842 to (essentially) 1873. They were established in the major cities of Galicia. Most of them were organised at elementary main schools, but several operated as independent facilities. Only boys were eligible to enrol in Realschule schools. The pupils represented various nationalities (Poles, Ukrainians, Germans, Jews) and religions. The schools prepared young people for work in various professions in industry and trade. The article deals with all important issues related to the operation of lower Realschule schools. It discusses the establishment of the school network, their division into independent and dependent facilities, the teaching staff and the student community, as well as their didactic activities. The article supplements the body of knowledge on the history of education in Galicia.

State emergency aid provided to the Pilzno County inhabitants who had suffered material losses as a result of the warfare in May 1915 was a short-term solution. Initially, the reconstruction of houses was subsidised with the aim of allowing the citizens to survive the upcoming winter. The funds constituted only 16% of the approximate value of the destroyed buildings. Small amounts of money were also handed out to help citizens start or resume business activity. Although the financial support was not sufficient, it enabled the payees to deal with the dramatic consequences of the war.

* Finansowanie badań ze środków przyznanych UPJP2 w Krakowie przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego.

As soon as the German military authority established temporary administration for the occupied Polish area in September 1939, its main administrative centre was located in Łódź. The decision was made in accordance with Hitler’s will in order to degrade the status of Warsaw. Łódź was the headquarters of Chief of Administration Hans Frank, who was personally appointed by Hitler and later, after 26 October, became Governor-General. His headquarters still remained in Łódź after the establishment of the General Government (at the end of October and at beginning of November). It was there that he made his firsts decisions concerning the entire area of the General Government. Hans Frank only moved to Krakow on 7 November.

General George Catlett Marshall, a soldier and diplomat, went down in history as the US secretary of state and the author of the famous Marshall Plan. In the years 1945–1947, he conducted a mediation mission in China which ended in a total fiasco. It is usually indicated that the reason for such a catastrophic conclusion was the inability to reach a compromise on the part of the Nationalist and Communist parties. The article points out that the actual goal of the Marshall Mission was to avoid America’s political and military entanglement in China. The Truman administration’s attention was focused on Europe. Real support for the KMT – which might have changed the outcome of the civil war – was not considered at all. The purpose of Marshall Mission was to provide an excuse to withdraw.

The article deals with the Polish-Belgian legal dispute (1955) over the legality of the arrest imposed on the Polish “Hel” ship in Antwerp. The detention of the ship resulted from previous rulings of the courts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain made enforceable by the Belgian judiciary. The Polish authorities tried to transfer the legal dispute to the political and diplomatic level. This led to a Polish-Belgian “war of notes” and the degradation of relations between Warsaw and Brussels.