This is a companion to my other post. Each battle listed here is a description of swords and sidearms being used en masse, detailed in a manner that I find sufficient (which I confess, is a little arbitrarily); while most accounts of battle describe the sword being used, few describe why or when the sword was being used in the engagement.
De Ayala writes: "The two sides came together so vigorously that the lances on both sides fell to the ground as men closed on each other, fighting and inflicting wounds on one another with swords, axes, and daggers."
But Froissart writes: "Several fought with their spears in both hands, with which they dealt about lustily their blows; others made use of short swords and daggers."
Both are describing the same thing, but without de Ayala's, Froissart's can easily be argued (though partially wrongly, I believe) that it is just a literary device, as it entirely lacks detail, especially today, wherein it is commonly said swords were scarcely used; and furthermore, we lack the reasoning as to why certain men fought with spears and others with swords. Froissart’s manner for this account is the typical description of almost every single battle (or in even more vague terms), but I believe that type of writing can be supplemented by more detailed ones, like the one by de Ayala, to explain the tactical reasoning as to why swords (and other sidearms) might be used in the first place.
You may find the source of each account in the said post above, along with many other supplemental accounts (particularly regarding the individuals) and extracts from treatises regarding swords.
Cavalry
Granicus (334 BC): When the lances were broken, they fought with swords. (Plutarch)
Issus (333 BC): The Macedonian horse plunged so deeply into the Persian horse that spears could not be used, and they presently hurled them at the enemy, and fought closely with swords. (Quintus Curtius Rufus)
Hellespont (321 BC): The cavalry of Eumenes and of Craterus charge, wherein their collision was great, and the spears were shattered, and the rest of the fighting was done with swords. (Plutarch)
Gaza (312 BC): In the first charge, most of the lances were broken, at which point they rallied again and fought with swords. (Diodorus Siculus)
Jiankang (552): Hou Jing and over 100 horsemen discarded their lances for swords to attempt to break through the enemy formation, but they fail. (Yao Silian)
Jalula (637): The archers shot one another, then they fought until their spears broke, and then fought the rest of the battle with swords and axes. (Al-Tabari, Al-Baladhuri, Mirkhvand)
Nahavand (642): No'man commanded his troops that at the first cry of the Takbir, they should prepare themselves and their horses. At the second cry of the Takbir, they should point their lances and draw their swords. At the third and final cry of the Takbir, they should come to close quarters with swords and daggers. Following this, the Persians and Muslims came together, and when No'man finally gave the third cry, the Muslims all together closed with their enemies, and routed the Persians. (Mirkhvand)
Secunda (747): After the lances shattered, they fought individual engagements with swords, with many even grappling. (Anon., Akhbār majmū'a fī fatḥ al-Andalus)
Al-Hadath (954): The Muslim force discarded their lances for swords at some point in the battle. (Al-Mutanabbi)
Seine (962): The first combat was fought with lances and broken spears, and the second was fought with swords. (Dudone Sancti Quintini)
Valesdunes (1047): The French and Costentinese charged one another, and when the lances broke, they fought with swords. (Wace)
Hastings (1066): The Normans charged the English, some breaking in the clash and others having their lances broken by the weapons of the English; they presently drew their swords and attempted to break into their midst. (Wace)
Homburg (1075): The lances were "consumed" at the beginning of the fight, and the remaining parts of the battle were fought with swords. (Lampertus Monachus)
Kyleb (1087): Lances were broken at the first encounter, at which swords were drawn. (Cosmas Decanus)
Dorylaeum (1097): The knights break their lances on the retreating Turks, resorting to swords, of which was the weapon that was said to be used the most in that battle. (Radulphus Cadomensis, Robertus Monachus)
Antioch (1097): Fully armed Saracen cataphracts, called "Agulani", fought without lances and bows, but with swords alone. (Fulcherus Carnotensis)
Mersivan (1101): The Turks, forcing the Franks to fight, no longer fought with bows or lances, but instead came to close quarters with swords, and routed them. (Anna Komnene)
Kufa (1105): The Ubada and Khafaja skirmished with bows and lances for days without any seriousness; but the battle intensified and they discarded their lances for swords. (Ibn al-Athir)
Trutina (1110): The Czechs charge the Germans, clashing first with lances, and when they broke, fighting with swords. (Anon., Cronice et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum)
Tall Danith (1115): Prior to the battle, Roger of Salerno exhorts his men to follow on with swords with all haste after breaking their lances. During the battle, the Franks break their lances upon the bodies of the Turks, and fall on with swords.
Hab (1119): The Turks, no longer wishing to fight afar with bows and lances, sling their bows upon their arms and draw their swords, coming to close quarters.
Bremule (1119): After the lines of the Normans and French clashed, and their spears broke, they took to their swords. (Robertus de Monte)
Axspoele (1128): The Flemish charged one another, fighting with lances; and after the first contact, they resorted to swords. (Galbertus notarius Brugensis)
Lincoln (1141): The Angevin knights decide not to charge with lances, but with swords alone, routing King Stephen's force. (Willelmi Malmesbiriensis)
Drincourt (1166): Lances were broken upon shields, with swords then being drawn. (Anon., Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal)
Sirmium (1167): The Romans and the Hungarians fought with lances for a while, and when they broke, they fought with swords; and finally, when the swords broke, they fought with maces. (Joannes Kinnamos, Niketas Choniates)
Tusculum (1167): The knights charged, and the lances were broken at the "first clash", and carried on fighting with their swords. (Ottonis de Sancto Blasio)
Beroé (1187): After fighting with missiles and lances, and feigning retreat and returning multiple times, the Cumans charged with swords, falling upon the Romans quickly. (Niketas Choniates)
Gisors (1198): The knights charge and break their lances on one another, and intermingle and fight with swords. (Anon., Chronique de Reims)
Bouvines (1214): The Flemish and French knights charge one another, breaking their lances and then fighting with swords. (Guillelmi Britonis Armorici)
Lincoln (1217): Swords were plied in a fierce melee after some combats with lances. (Anon., Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal)
Mansurah (1250): A great melee was fought with swords and maces between the Franks and Saracens. (Jean de Joinville)
Lough Raska (1317): The spears shattered at the clash, they fought on with swords. (John MacRory Magrath)
Paris (~1360): The English-Gascon rearguard ambushed a force of overzealous French knights; they charged one another, unhorsing many, and then falling on with swords after this clash. (Jean Froissart)
Pontvallain (1370): The French and English charged, and when the lances failed, they took to their swords and axes. (Jean Froissart)
Bergerac (1377): When the lances failed, swords were drawn, renewing the fight. (Jean Froissart)
Serra de Ossa (1385): A skirmish, wherein after the lances were lost, the rest of the fighting was done with swords. (Fernão Lopes)
Delhi (1398): Timurids and Indians shot at one another with arrows, then they charged one another, fighting first with lances, then swords and axes. (Ibn Taghribirdi)
Jersey (1401): Lances were soon abandoned after the clash, with swords and axes drawn in the melee; some came so close as to grapple with their hands and daggers. (Gutierre Díaz de Gámez)
Grunwald (1410): When the lances broke, they fought with swords and axes. (Johannes Longinus)
Sava (1463): The Poles skirmished against a force of Turks, piecemeal, squadron by squadron, breaking their lances; the next day, having used up their lances, they fought with swords and bows when the Turks charged them together in two formations. (Johannes Longinus)
Lobon (1479): The men at arms lose their lances, and fight closely with swords; some of whom were so close that they had to resort to daggers. (Hernando del Pulgar)
Fornovo (1495): The men at arms break their lances at the first charge, and fight with swords and maces. (Francesco Guicciardini, Alessandro Benedetti, Philippe de Commynes)
Guines (1523): The Welsh demilances charged the French in close order, breaking their lances, and fought on with swords at close quarters. (Edward Hall)
Corrichie (1562): Seeing many of the Queen's army flee, the horsemen under Huntly discarded their lances for swords, as to more easily chase down their fleeing enemies. However, they are caught off guard by Moray's steadfast troops. (George Buchanan)
El Bodon (1811): In the first engagement the 16th Light Dragoons ever faced lancers, the British rushed close to the Polish lancers, whose lances were formidable at a distance, and made the said lances a disadvantage. (William Tomkinson)
Polotsk (1812): De Marbot's horsemen met resistance with the Cossack lancers, who killed many at the encounter; but in the melee, when the French broke through the points of the lances, they took the advantage, routing the Cossacks. (Baron de Marbot)
Saar (1866): The Austrian hussars rushed the Prussian Uhlans, at first struggling to parry aside the lances, but eventually succeeding in close quarters; here, however, they came so close as to be unable to use their swords (nor the Prussians their lances), and the Uhlans, in their denser order and larger horses, defeated the Austrians. (Henry M. Hozier)
Tischnowitz (1866): The Prussian dragoons with their sabers, dashed aside the points of the lances of the Austrians, and came to such close quarters, that they could scarcely used their swords, and thus they grappled with one another; the dragoons, owing to their larger size and strength, defeated the lighter lancers, routing them. (Henry M. Hozier)
Ahmed Khel (1880): Charging uphill, the 19th Bengal lancers could only give a poor charge, and the Ghazis, armed with their tulwars, entered into their midst, where the lance was only an impediment, killing many. (Edward Sinclair May)
Infantry
Xinli (520 BC): The Qi commander Wu Zhiming recommended discarding their long weapons and using only swords; this was done, and they soundly defeated the Hua. (Anon., Chun Qiu)
Plataea (479 BC): The Persian infantry break the spears of the Spartans, causing the Spartans to come to close quarters; the contest of which the Spartans eventually won. (Plutarch, Herodotus)
Cynossema (411 BC): When the ships came together, they did not fight only with spears from afar, but would jump into the opposing ship, sword in hand. (Diodorus Siculus)
Coronea (394 BC): The Theban line clashed with the Spartans, in an attempt to break through, putting "shield against shield", each shoving and killing one another with sword in hand. (Xenophon)
Anio (367 BC): The Romans fearing the swords of the Gauls fought with their javelins in hand instead of swords; but the Romans eventually drew their swords and came to close quarters, slaughtering a great number of the front ranks of the Gauls. (Plutarch)
Mantinea (362 BC): The hoplites shattered their spears due to the frequency of their blows, and fought on with swords. (Diodorus Siculus)
Crimissus (339 BC): Resisting the first clash of spears, due to the iron thoraxes, bronze helmets, and great shields, they came to close quarters with swords. (Plutarch)
Clusius (223 BC): The Tribunes gave out the spears of the Triarii to the Hastati, fearing the initial impetus of the Gauls. But when the spears were done with, the Romans together charged the Gauls with their swords, defeating them. (Polybius)
New Carthage (209 BC): Due to spears being useless in a narrow space, Mago ordered his men to sally from the gates with swords alone. (Appianos Alexandreus)
Zama (202 BC): The Carthaginian and Roman foot no longer fought with spears, but came to close quarters with swords. (Polybius)
Ampuriae (195 BC): The Celtiberians throw their spears and charge with swords. (Titus Livius)
Vosges (58 BC): The Romans charged and came so close to the Germans that the Germans could not use their spears and long swords; some could not use even their daggers, and grappled with one another. (Cassius Dio Cocceianus)
Jerusalem (70): During the fight near the tower of Antonia, the fighting became chaotic, and the sides almost entangled, and spears and missiles became useless, due to the narrowness of the area and the number of the men. (Flavius Josephus)
Ban Bridge (280): 5,000 elite Danyang soldiers under Shen Ying, armed with swords and shields, who were famed for their prior victories, attempt to break through the Jin lines, but they fail. (Gan Bao)
Adrianople (378): The Roman foot fight at close quarters with their swords as their spears break and the Goths close with them. (Ammianus Marcellinus)
Burgscheidungen (531): The Saxons and Thuringians throw their spears and fight with swords. (Witichindi Saxo)
Tricamarum (533): The Vandal king ordered his men to not use spears or any other weapon except for swords. (Procopius)
Ajnadayn (634): They first fought with spears, then turned to swords. (Al-Azdi)
Al-Qadisiyyah (636): A general command was given to the Muslims to attack the Persians; and after fighting with spears, they closed with swords, and the fight was reinvigorated. (Mirkhvand, Abu Hanifa Dinawari)
Basra (656): After fighting with spears for a time, the caliph Ali commanded his men to use their swords. (Al-Tabari)
Siffin (657): During a skirmish before the battle itself, the parties involved fought with spears for a while before fighting with swords. During the battle itself, spears were broken, and they fought with swords. (Al-Tabari) (Ibn Miskawayh, Al-Masudi)
Sillabra (685): They first fought by shooting arrows and thrusting spears, and then closed hand to hand with swords while on foot; according to an eyewitness, the combat with swords was an hour long. (Al-Tabari)
Khazir (686): After fighting briefly with spears, they turned to swords and maces for a large portion of the rest of the day. (Al-Tabari)
Al-Mada'in (696): Attab arrayed his formation with swordsmen in the front, spearmen in the middle, and archers in the rear. (Al-Tabari)
Ath Muiceda (855): The Irish and Norwegians threw their spears at one another and charged with swords. (Anon., Fragmentary Annals of Ireland)
Munster (866): The Irish and Norwegians fight with swords after shooting arrows and throwing spears. (Anon., Fragmentary Annals of Ireland)
Fitjar (961): The Norwegians and Danes throw their spears and charge with swords. (Pseudo-Snorri Sturluson)
Stiklestad (1030): The Norwegians fight with swords and axes at the front of the battle lines. (Pseudo-Snorri Sturluson)
Civitate (1053): The dismounted Swabians do not fight with lances, but with swords. (Guillelmus Apuliensis)
Kołobrzeg (1105): Polish knights drop their lances for swords as they dismount and enter the city. (Anon., Cronice et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum)
Northallerton (1128): The Scots and Galwegians close with swords after their charge with pikes was checked by the Saxons. (Aelredus Riaevallensis)
Almassora (1234): Lances were discarded as they could not be wielded well in the towers. (Jaume I)
Auray (1364): Shortened lances are dropped for short axes in the melee. (Jean Froissart)
Najera (1367): The lines of dismounted men at arms crash together so quickly that lances are dropped for axes, swords, and daggers. (Pedro López de Ayala, Chandos le héraut, Fernão Lopes)
Chiset (1373): The English men at arms drop their spears as they attempt to close with the French but fail; after the French push the English back in turn, they resort to their own swords and sidearms to close with the English. (Johannes Cuvelier)
Roosebeke (1382): After fighting with their spears, the French men at arms close with their axes and mauls (and swords), charging into the midst of the Flemings; and the French pillagers use their long knives in the melee. (Jean Froissart)
Marteras (1383): The dismounted men at arms came together with their spears, the fighting with which was indecisive. When they had used their spears sufficiently, they presently threw them down, and came to close quarters with their axes. (Jean Froissart)
Aljubarrota (1385): The men at arms drop their shortened lances for swords and axes when the Castillians close with the Portuguese (and the French do likewise when they broke, according to Froissart), as in the fierce melee there was little space for their use. (Fernão Lopes, Jean Froissart)
Uchino (1392): Dismounted samurai with swords take their place behind the screen of shields. (Anon., Meitokuki)
Modon (1403): After the vessels came together, and they fought with spears, they then came to close quarters, and fought with swords, axes, and daggers. (Anon., Le livre des fais du bon messire Jehan le Maingre)
Verneuil (1424): The English and French fight with their spears and pollaxes and eventually close to fight with their swords. (Jean de Wauvrin)
Brouwershaven (1426): The Flemish and English fight with lances and pikes, and then resort to shorter weapons like axes, swords, and lead mauls. (Jean de Wauvrin)
Arbroath (1446): A man cries that they should fight with swords instead of their pikes; both sides for the most part discarded their pikes, except for 100 men on the side of Lindsay, who hid their pikes by trailing them until their last moment, and presently they thrust them outwards, causing their opponents to break. (George Buchanan)
Banastharim (1512): After the Portuguese are routed by a successful sally, they are rallied by Pero de Mascarenhas, and the ensuing battle between the Portuguese and Muslims came to close quarters, not being fought with polearms, but with swords and daggers. (Hieronymus Osorio)
Flodden (1513): The Scots draw their swords after fighting with their pikes. (Pseudo-Richarde Faques, Thomas Ruthall)
Brescia (1516): The French-Venetian force charged the breach, fighting first with missiles, and then with pikes; and finally coming to sword blows at close quarters, they were thrown back. (Bartolomé Leonardo de Argensola)
Cavallermaggiore (1543): The French pikemen discard their pikes and draw swords as they close with their enemy. (Blaize de Montluc)
Ceresole (1544): Certain Swiss discard their pikes for their longswords at some point in their fight against the landsknechts. (Blaize de Montluc)
Zuwarah (1552): Holding their ground after regrouping against the Ottomans, the Maltese knights fight with pikes after harquebuses, then with swords, then finally to close quarters with daggers and even bare hands.
Camollia (1554): During the assault of the fortress, the French found there to be no use for pikes and halberds, for they were attacking with swords and daggers. (Blaize de Montluc)
Frigiliana (1569): The Spanish pikes reached the fort, and drove the Moors back, and the fight was stubborn, and it came to sword blows, of which the Spanish had the advantage. (Diego Hurtado de Mendoza)
Adare (1579): Sir William Stanley and his company ambush the Geraldines, but were eventually hotly charged themselves, causing many of their pikes breaking. They continued to fight with their swords and broken staves, driving back the earl Desmond and his men. (Raphaell Holinshed)
Faial (1583): The Spanish pikemen met the French defenders, and shortly after came to sword blows, and the French soon thereafter fled. (Mosquera de Figueroa)
Doullens (1595): During the assault of the breach, pikes are succeeded by swords, and even swords eventually discarded to grapple, as the Spanish close hand to hand with the French. (Guido Bentivoglio)
Durango (1599): During the assault of the fort, when the ladders were laid upon the walls, no longer were muskets and pikes of any use, but instead fell on with swords and shields. (Guido Bentivoglio)
Veillane (1630): After giving thrusts with pikes and shots with muskets, they came hand to hand with swords. (Anon., Inventaire general de l'histoire de France... augmenté en ceste derniere edition)
Breitenfeld (1631): The Swedish and Imperial foot vigorously fought, musketry leaving the earth covered with dead, and they came to the push of pike with fury; and fighting with their swords, which was said to be no less dangerous, the Swedes pushed with vigor, and finally drove back the Imperials. (Jean Richer)
Lützen (1632): During the assault of the Imperial trenches, the Swedish pikemen break their pikes upon the bodies of the Imperial musketeers, and fall on with swords. No longer in this brawl did the musketeers shoot, but the fight came to close quarters, and was done with pikes and swords alone. (Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato)
Du'ao Ridge (1851): The Taiping rebels, armed with short spears, would snatch or parry the long pikes of the Qing soldiers, and then draw their swords and rush forward. (Tan Guan)
Archers and Missile Troops
Plataea (479 BC): After shooting, and when the Spartan lines met their own, the Persian archers fight hand to hand with the Spartan hoplites at close quarters with their swords. (Plutarch, Herodotus)
Pass of Brander (1308): Archers under Robert de Brus ambush the Douglas, shooting arrows and then charging with swords. (John Barbour)
Funanoe (1333): Mounted samurai shot their arrows until they spotted the enemy shield line waver, and presently drew their swords and charged, routing them. (Anon., Taiheiki)
Crecy (1346): The English bidowers slew the disorganized French men at arms with their long knives. (Jean Froissart)
Poitiers (1356): The English archers fight with swords and sidearms after shooting. (Geoffrey le Baker)
Auray (1364): After shooting, the archers fight hand to hand. (Jean Froissart)
Shrewsbury (1403): The archers fight with swords and axes after shooting. (Jean de Wauvrin)
Blackpool Sands (1404): The English and Bretons fall on with swords and axes after shooting. (Jean de Wauvrin)
Azincourt (1415): The English archers charge the French men at arms with their sidearms after shooting. (Jean de Wauvrin, Polydori Vergilii, Anon., Gesta Henrici Quinti)
Verneuil (1424): After shooting, the English archers fought hand to hand. (Jean de Wauvrin)
Castillon (1453): The English archers drew their swords after shooting all their arrows to defend themselves during the retreat. (Polydori Vergilii)
Brusten (1467): The Burgundian archers defeat the Liege foot with their two handed swords after shooting. (Olivier de la Marche)
Barnet (1471): The English parties charge with swords after shooting. (Polydori Vergilii)
Bosworth (1485): The archers fought one another with swords after shooting. (Richard Grafton)
Fornovo (1495): The French archers did a "great feat" with their long swords. (Philippe de Commynes)
Guines (1523): The English archers draw their swords after shooting. (Edward Hall)
Kinloch-Lochy (1544): The archers shoot one another and then fight it out with swords. (John Leslie)
Suncheon (1598): Shimazu Yoshihiro ordered his men to shoot with bows and harquebuses, and then to immediately drop them for swords and charge; this succeeded, driving the Ming-Joseon force back temporarily. (Francisco Rodriguez)
Remember, this is not a list of the only battles where swords were used, but rather of battles where the accounts describe their usage "in depth" (again, a little arbitrary on my part, mea culpa). Again, most accounts that mention the weaponry used during a battle mention the sword being used; some you may argue is simply shorthand, but the sword would have never been mentioned so frequently (nor carried so frequently) if they were scarcely used.
Things of Note
Swords are described being used by cavalry after the lances break 26 times, at: Granicus (334 BC), Hellespont (321 BC), Gaza (312 BC), Jalula (637), Secunda (747), Seine (962), Valesdunes (1047), Hastings (1066), Kyleb (1087), Dorylaeum (1097), Homburg (1075), Trutina (1110), Tall Danith (1115), Bremule (1119), Drincourt (1166), Sirmium (1167), Tusculum (1167), Gisors (1198), Bouvines (1214), Lough Raska (1317), Pontvallain (1370), Bergerac (1377), Grunwald (1410), Sava (1463), Fornovo (1495), and Guines (1523).
Of which, it is specified they shattered at the initial clash or early in the fight 11 times, at: Hellespont (321 BC), Gaza (312 BC), Seine (962), Kyleb (1087), Homburg (1075), Dorylaeum (1097), Drincourt (1166), Tusculum (1167), Lough Raska (1317), Fornovo (1495), and Guines (1523).
While many of the others may be reasoned to also be implied occurring early in the fight, a good few others are said (or implied) to have occurred later on. Even broken lances may be retained for certain parts of the fight, as mentioned in the treatise by Bernardino de Mendoza, and by Arrian regarding Aretas at Granicus (334), or Duke William at Hastings (1066), or the description of the "first combat" at Seine (962); although for this one, the swords were explicitly still drawn for the "second". The preference and tactical situation of the individual would likely help determine this, and there is, of course, the reverse, where lances are discarded despite not being broken (or stuck).
Lances were simply lost or discarded 12 times, at: Issus (333 BC), Nahavand (642), Al-Hadath (954), Kufa (1105), Hab (1119), Axspoele (1128), Beroé (1187), Paris (~1360), Serra de Ossa (1385), Delhi (1398), Jersey (1401), and Lobon (1479).
This does not necessarily preclude them breaking.
Sidearms are described being used after polearms by infantry 40 times, at: Plataea (479 BC), Anio (367 BC), Mantinea (362 BC), Crimissus (339 BC), Clusius (223 BC), Zama (202 BC), Vosges (58 BC), Jerusalem (70), Adrianople (378), Ajnadayn (634), Al-Qadisiyyah (636), Basra (656), Siffin (657) (twice), Sillabra (685), Khazir (686), Northallerton (1128), Auray (1364), Najera (1367), Chiset (1373), Roosebeke (1382), Marteras (1383), Aljubarrota (1385), Modon (1403), Verneuil (1424), Brouwershaven (1426), Banastharim (1512), Flodden (1513), Brescia (1516), Cavallermaggiore (1543), Ceresole (1544), Zuwarah (1552), Frigiliana (1569), Adare (1579), Faial (1583), Doullens (1595), Veillane (1630), Breitenfeld (1631), Lützen (1632), and Du'ao Ridge (1851).
Of these, it was written to be due to:
The polearms breaking 8 times, at: Plataea (479 BC), Mantinea (362 BC), Adrianople (378), Siffin (657) (once), Aljubarrota (1385), Flodden (1513), Adare (1579), and Lützen (1632).
However, I find it likely that the hafted weapons breaking can cause a domino effect where large portions of the battle become close after certain individuals (aided by their comrades) close to use their swords due to their polearm breaking. Otherwise, polearms must be extremely fragile!
The parties closing to that purpose 9 times, at: Anio (367 BC), Clusius (223 BC), Basra (656), Northallerton (1128), Najera (1367), Chiset (1373), Marteras (1383), Aljubarrota (1385), and Du'ao Ridge (1851).
And of these, it was explicitly ordered by a captain during combat to switch to sidearms 2 times, at Basra (656) and Chiset (1373). At Clusius (223 BC), it is likewise implied for there to have been some sort of organized push, as they close with their swords "together".
The fight simply becoming close 6 times, at: Zama (202 BC), Vosges (58 BC), Jerusalem (70), Adrianople (378) (also), Aljubarrota (1385) (also), and Doullens (1595).
Of course, whenever swords etc. are drawn en masse, chances are the fight has become close, but here that is the described reason.
Swords are mentioned being used by infantry at the close of the battle 3 times, at: Chiset (1373) (also), Cavallermaggiore (1543), and Ceresole (1544).
By the "close of the battle", I mean that they are mentioned being used when one side is giving way (not yet a rout), or has given way. Of course, are swords drawn because the foe is giving way, or is the foe giving way because they were being closed with?
Interestingly, Early-Medieval Germanic peoples are involved in 4 of these, and Norwegians for 3. Also of note is that the mid-13th century Norwegian treatise known as the "King's Mirror" explicitly discourages this practice for when you are in array and on foot.
Polearms were discarded due to a command prior to combat 2 times, at: Xinli (520 BC) and Tricamarum (533).
Combined with the three that were discarded during combat, and the others where it was done consciously although not explicitly by command, it is clear that the usage of swords cannot simply be reduced to being caused by the polearms breaking.
And lances were discarded by the horsemen prior to combat 4 times, at: Jiankang (552), Mersivan (1101), Lincoln (1141), and Corrichie (1562).
And they were discarded explicitly due to the combat intensifying 1 time, at Kufa (1105).
And finally, polearms were discarded to fight in cities or fortresses 6 times, at: New Carthage (209 BC), Jerusalem (70), Kołobrzeg (1105), Almassora (1234), Camollia (1554), and Durango (1599).
Note that not every battle I listed is mentioned in one of these breakdowns. A good portion do not specify why the polearms or lances were discarded for swords, only that they were; and obviously, there were those who did not fight with polearms at all. Read my original post, linked at the beginning, for more information.
Likewise, many of these battles had the same men, which should point towards how common this occurrence might be, or at least how they were not uncommon in the slightest. Bertrand du Guesclin was at Auray (1364), Najera (1367), Pontvallain (1370), and Chiset (1373). John Chandos was at Auray and Najera, and Pedro López de Ayala at Najera and Aljubarrota (1385), as was Olivier V de Clisson present at Auray, Najera, and Roosebeke (1382). Ali ibn Abi Talib was at both Basra (656) and Siffin (657), and Philip Augustus was at Gisors (1198) and Bouvines (1214).
The point being, if the use of sidearms was so rare, how could men partake in multiple battles where sidearms were used en masse? These battles above are only a snapshot (as I have said in the first part of this post, many more descriptions are simply too simple), and even still we see that these experiences were not so rare as to be functionally irrelevant (as some have presumed). And indeed, the accounts of individuals (like that of Pero Niño) show men in multiple encounters use their swords plenty, which you may view in my other post.
The summaries are a little clumsy (I was never so good at writing them), but this was compiled mostly for those who were too lazy to read the primary sources (which I have since learned are many). Now, dear reader, you have no excuse!
- William
I should comment so you know I have been (which I have, before today, it's a handy thing to have bookmarked so thank you for that,)! Good stuff ...
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Thank you for your support!!!
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