Bour Camus, or Camus Bour Lesparre, also known as ''Camus the Bastard'' was a

mercenary A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...

captain during the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

. He was of Navarrese or Gascon origin. After the

Treaty of Brétigny The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty, drafted on 8 May 1360 and ratified on 24 October 1360, between Kings Edward III of England and John II of France. In retrospect, it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' ...

in the

, he and his troops found themselves unemployed and joined up with the so called

Tard-Venus Tard-Venus (French, "latecomers") were medieval groups of ''routiers'' (mercentaries or bandits) that ravaged Europe in the later years of the reign of King John II of France. History When the Treaty of Brétigny was signed May 8, 1360, the peace t ...

bandit Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...

s who

pillage Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

d much of

southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...

. His story is mentioned in the Chronicles of Froissart After the

Battle of Brignais The Battle of Brignais was fought on the 6th of April 1362, between forces of the Kingdom of France under Count Jacques de Bourbon, from whom the later royal Bourbons descend, and the Tard-Venus Free Companies, led by mercenary captains includi ...

, he went to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, with Hawkwood, Creswey and Briquet, to make war against Galeas II Visconti and Bernabo Visconti, lords of Milan. During the wars he threw prisoners into a pit full of fire, if they would not or could not redeem their freedom.Manoir ou château : Château de Beauvoir
/ref> He was captured in December 1367 in the castle of Beauvoir by the people of the Duke of Bourbon.

References

{{reflist People of the Hundred Years' War French soldiers French mercenaries Year of birth unknown French prisoners of war in the Hundred Years' War Hundred Years' War Medieval mercenaries 14th century in France