The original but almost ignored study by Konstantinos Satha was first published in the magazine "Estia" vol. IX-X (1885). This work is a remarkable contribution to the study of the mercenary military bodies that were called stradioti, and it provides an opportunity for research and deepening. Satha describes the personal identity and social profile (Orthodox Christians, Greek-speaking, Albanian-speaking, etc.), places of origin, customs, and military tactics of the "soldier" horsemen (but also infantry and corsairs), as well as the Christian Western states they served (mainly Venice, Sicily, and other states in Italy, France, and Switzerland). Also noteworthy is the connection that Satha makes with the Byzantine Akrites, the migratory flows after the Fall, and the armatoloi and klephts, who fought "for faith and homeland".
The revolutionary edition includes a table of contents, an index of main names, places, and military terms, and three color miniature depictions of "soldiers" from Satha's personal archive.