Which statement best distinguishes comitatus from chivalry?

• A. They are the same
• B. Comitatus = loyalty; Chivalry = loyalty plus courtliness and Christian ethics
• C. Comitatus = loyalty to king; Chivalry = religious devotion
• D. Comitatus = law; Chivalry = ritual code

Answer: (C)

The central idea is that comitatus is about a political-military bond of loyalty to a king, while chivalry is a knightly code grounded in religious and ethical duties. Comitatus centers on the lord–warrior relationship and the obligation to the king, whereas chivalry encompasses a broader set of duties—valor, courtesy, and especially religious devotion—as guiding principles for behavior. That religious, devotional element helps distinguish chivalry as a Christian-influenced ethical framework, not merely a loyalty-based bond. The other options blur or misplace these roots: one asserts they’re the same, another reduces chivalry to loyalty plus manners and ethics (which overlaps with comitatus rather than distinguishing it), and another mislabels comitatus as law or treats chivalry as just ritual.