Apostles

The Twelve Apostles

Contrary to what one might think, and despite the religious fervor that permeated the lives of the members of the Spanish Tercios, "the Twelve Apostles" was the popular name they gave to the charges of their arquebuses, which they carried slung over their shoulder straps.

The shot was prepared by pouring gunpowder through the arquebus barrel. Due to the problems inherent in arbitrary measurement, such as insufficient or excessive gunpowder, and the associated issues like jams or accidental explosions, small tubes containing the precise amount of gunpowder for each shot began to be used.

In this way, the charges were much faster and safer. For the Duke of Alba, the arquebus was useless at ranges closer than two pikes, due to its slow reloading time. These tubes became known as the Twelve Apostles, because of their number. With its arrival, the recharge time was reduced, and it became more useful than the Duke of Alba believed.