Tales from that era include all sorts of gruesome details, Kaeuper said. Many tell of warriors vomiting blood or holding their entrails in with their hands. One mentions a Castilian knight who gets a crossbolt stuck up his nose in his first fight. Another tells of a fighter getting slashed by a sword through his mouth. Again and again, there are references to bad food, uncomfortable conditions and relentless fighting.Elizabeth Chadwick's novels cover this really well, especially The Champion, which deals with the surprisingly crummy lives of tournament knights, those who live off tournament earnings instead of inherited wealth. There is also her wonderful A Place Beyond Courage, which tells the story of John Marshal, who had half his face melted off by a burning lead roof and then walked 25 miles before receiving any medical treatment.
I had similar thoughts to this article the last time I watched the Rome episode "Pharsalus." Pullo and Vorenus are about to set themselves adrift on a raft made of the bodies of their dead comrades. Meanwhile, the female characters (who undoubtedly have their own tribulations) trade verbal barbs:
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