And he that is at meschief shal be take
And noght slayn, but be broght unto the stake
That shal ben ordeyned on either syde;
But thider he shal by force, and there abyde.
And if so falle the chieftayn be take
On outher syde, or elles sleen his make,
No lenger shal the turneiynge laste.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Theseus is very keen on preventing loss of life during the tournament. So he lays down a rule that defeated knights are not to be killed but taken prisoner at the stake.