Ordering Archers to Fire

[M. Vipsanius Agrippa]

One question that has been puzzling me for a while is how an archer in antiquity was ordered to fire. The question is probably not limited to antiquity, but will stretch all the way through to the use of firearms. We currently use the order "Fire" when letting off firearms. Was this only a result of the move to firearms, or was the word used previously when bows were the main ranged weapons? (Can't see why it would be.)

 

I don't suppose there would be any evidence in the primary sources as this would not be the kind of thing they would write down.

 

Any help to stop stupid questions rattling around in my head would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

 

MVA

[GhostOfClayton]

From no reference, expertise, sources . . . in fact totally guessing, I would say the term started when the man in charge of a cannon crew gave the order to apply 'fire' to the fuse.

 

Roman archers possibly responded to a whistle or a manual signal. Both have been suggested as methods for giving battlefield commands. Apparently, Roman helmets impeded verbal commands (can a reenactor confirm this?), and also narrowed the field of vision, so a whistle may be more liklely.

[Melvadius]

I understand that the traditional order in English, when it comes to archery, is 'loose' which in its context makes perfect sense.

 

Possibly the Romans had a similar spoken command although as GoC has mentioned in general they also made use of musical instruments and visual commands.