# The rise and fall of Italy's hired warriors - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ted-ed-7859430/the-rise-and-fall-of-italy-s-hired-warriors-stephanie-honchell-smith
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ted-ed-7859430/the-rise-and-fall-of-italy-s-hired-warriors-stephanie-honchell-smith.md
Podcast: [TED-Ed](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ted-ed-7859430)
Published: 2026-06-15T19:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/VG3751079471.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/VG3751079471.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ted-ed-7859430/episodes/the-rise-and-fall-of-italy-s-hired-warriors-stephanie-honchell-smith
Duration seconds: 423

## Resource

Dig into the history of the elite mercenaries known as condottieri, who were soldiers for hire for Italy's rich and powerful.--During the 14th and 15th centuries, mercenaries known as condottieri dominated Italian warfare, profiting from— and encouraging— the region’s intense political rivalries. As rulers competed for power and prestige, their disputes often played out in military conflicts, fought almost entirely by the condottieri. So who were these elite and conniving warriors? Stephanie Honchell Smith investigates.Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Yael Reisfeld.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-merciless-mercenaries-of-the-italian-renaissance-stephanie-honchell-smithDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-merciless-mercenaries-of-the-italian-renaissance-stephanie-honchell-smith#digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.yaelreisfeld.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Nonam…

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