Throughout history, armed priests or soldier priests have been recorded. Distinguished from military chaplains who served the military or civilians as spiritual guidance (non-combatans), these priests took up arms and fought in conflicts (combatants). The term warrior priests is usually used for armed priests of the antiquity and Middle Ages, and of historical tribes.
In Greek mythology, the Curetes were identified as armed priests. In Ancient Rome, the Salii who were armed priests carried sacred shields through the city during the March festivals. Livy (59 BC–17 AD) mentions armati sacerdotes (armed priests).
Medieval European canon law said that a priest could not be a soldier, and vice versa. Priests were allowed on the battlefield as chaplains, and could only defend themselves with clubs.
The Aztecs had a vanguard of warrior priests who carried deity banners and made sacrifies on the battlefield. A Cherokee priest who killed during battle received the title of Nu no hi ta hi.
The warrior-priest was a common figure in the First Serbian Uprising (1804–13). Several archpriests and priests were commanders in the uprising. Serbian Orthodox monasteries sent monks to join the ranks of the Serbian Army.
The "Pyrrhic" dance in Crete is said to have been the ritual dance of armed priests.
Sōhei, Buddhist monks in feudal Japan
Eastern Orthodoxy
Luka Lazarević (1774–1852), Serbian Orthodox priest, vojvoda (general) of the Serbian Revolution.
Nikola Smiljanić (1760–1815), Serbian Orthodox archpriest, commander in the Serbian Revolution.
Milutin Ilić, Serbian Orthodox priest, commander in the Serbian Revolution.
Matija Nenadović (1777–1854), Serbian Orthodox archpriest, commander in the Serbian Revolution.
Neofit Marković (fl. 1815–27), Serbian Orthodox priestmonk, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Atanasije Antonijević (1734–1804), Serbian Orthodox priest, blessed the Orašac Assembly and fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Melentije Nikšić (d. 1816), Serbian Orthodox priest, fought in the First and Second Serbian Uprising.
Samuilo Jakovljević (d. 1824), Serbian Orthodox abbot, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Melentije Stevanović (1766–1824), Serbian Orthodox abbot, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Melentije Pavlović (1776–1833), Serbian Orthodox abbot, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Milutin Ilić Gučanin (d. 1814), Serbian Orthodox priest, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Nikola Smiljanić (1777–1815), Serbian Orthodox priest, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Filip Petrović (1775–1820), Serbian Orthodox priest, fought in the First Serbian Uprising.
Athanasios Diakos (1788–1821), Greek Orthodox priest, commander in the Greek War of Independence.
Petar Radović (1832–1907), Serbian Orthodox priest, fought in the Herzegovina Uprising.
Mićo Ljubibratić (1839–1889), Serbian Orthodox priest, fought in the Herzegovina Uprising.
Bogdan Zimonjić (1813–1909), Serbian Orthodox priest, active during the 1852–62 and 1875–78 uprisings in Herzegovina
Vukajlo Božović, Serbian Orthodox archpriest, fought in the Balkan Wars.
Rista K. Popović (1870–1917), Serbian Orthodox priest.
Papadrakos (1872–19XX), Greek Orthodox priest, active in the Macedonian Struggle.
Jevto Popović, Serbian Orthodox priest.
Prokopije Vujišić, Serbian Orthodox priest.
Jovan Grković-Gapon (1879–1912), Serbian Orthodox priest, guerrilla in Macedonia.
Tasa Konević, Serbian Orthodox priest, guerrilla in Macedonia.
Mihailo Dožić (1848–1914), Serbian Orthodox priest, guerrilla in Potarje (1875–78).
Stevan Dimitrijević (1866–1953), Serbian Orthodox priest, guerrilla in Macedonia (fl. 1904).
Momčilo Đujić (1907–1999), Serbian Orthodox priest, World War II Chetnik.
Vlada Zečević (1903–1970), Serbian Orthodox priest, Yugoslav Partisan.
Georgije Bojić (1908–1946), Serbian Orthodox priestmonk, Yugoslav Partisan.
Catholicism
Archbishop Turpin (d. 800), legendary (insofar as military accomplishments) member of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers.
Rudolf of Zähringen (1135–1191), Catholic bishop, Crusader.
Joscius (d. 1202), Catholic archbishop, Crusader.
Aleaume de Clari (fl. 1204), Catholic priest, Crusader.
Reginald of Bar (fl. 1182–1216), Catholic bishop, Crusader.
Aubrey of Reims (fl. 1207–18), Catholic archbishop, Crusader.
Arnaud Amalric (d. 1225), Cistercian abbott, Crusader.
Robert Bawe alias Gogh, Catholic priest, fought at Battle of Shrewsbury (1403).
Bernardino de Escalante (1537–after 1605), Catholic priest
Ureña, commander of La Manchan Crusaders in the Peninsular War.
José Félix Aldao (1785–1845), Dominican friar, General in the Argentine War.
José María Morelos (1765–1815), Roman Catholic priest, Mexican independentist commander.
Adrian Beausoleil, Roman Catholic priest, French army in World War I.
Other
The tlatoani, ruler of Nahuatl pre-Hispanic states, were high priests and military commanders.
