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154 GALLEY WARFARE

WDER 1500–1680 THE BATTLE

OF LEPANTO

Fought off the coast of Greece on October 7, 1571, the Battle
of Lepanto was the climax of the era of galley warfare in the

AND GUNPO Mediterranean. More than 400 oared warships engaged in a
close-fought battle that resulted in one of Christian Europe’s
greatest victories over the Ottoman Turks.

move as nimbly. The rest of
In the 16th century, Muslim naval
Don John’s galleys, heavy with
forces—the well-funded fleet of the
PIKES Ottoman Empire, and the piratical cannon and clumsily rowed by
prisoners and slaves, kept in line
Barbary corsairs from the ports of
North Africa—were bidding for
abreast, to protect their flanks
control of the Mediterranean. The
and maximize the power of their
states of Christian Europe were
rarely capable of uniting to face this forward-firing guns.
threat; however, in 1571, they forged JOINING THE FRAY
a Holy League to resist an Ottoman Commanded by Ali Pasha from the
attack on Cyprus. The combined flagship Sultana, the Ottomans and
fleets of Habsburg Spain, Venice, corsairs took the initiative. They
Genoa, the Papacy, Savoy, and the advanced in crescent formation,
Knights of St. John were led by Don attempting to outflank the Venetians
John of Austria, illegitimate half- on their left, and the Genoese on
brother of Philip II of Spain. Heading their right. The Ottoman center
into the eastern Mediterranean, they came under bombardment from
met the Ottoman fleet and its corsair the galleasses, causing damage to the
allies in the Gulf of Patras. ships. Ali Pasha, undeterred, pressed
The galleys carried large contingents forward toward Don John’s flagship
of soldiers, but their use of equipment Real at the heart of the Christian
showed a clear division of technology fleet. Soon galleys were locked
and approach. The Christian forces together in deadly combat, soldiers
were mostly armored and carrying fighting hand-to-hand on the decks.
arquebuses, while the Muslims were The Genoese were outflanked
more lightly clad and equipped with by corsair captain Uluj Ali, who
composite bows. Galley battles had threatened to break through on
traditionally involved engaging the Christian right. On the left, the
enemy ships so that soldiers could Venetian commander Agostino
board and attack at close quarters. Barbarigo was killed by an arrow
But now the Christian fleet also in the eye, while in the center
depended heavily on the firepower of Ottoman Janissaries boarded Real.
naval guns: their galleys had cannon The Christians were saved by
in the bows, and smaller swivel guns the experienced Habsburg admiral
to sweep an enemy’s deck. They had Álvaro de Bazán. Leading a reserve
also rebuilt six large Venetian cargo force of galleys, he directed ships
ships as “galleasses”—unwieldy gun into the battle at crucial moments,
platforms heavily armed with cannon, shoring up the flanks and rescuing
which had to be assisted into action Don John’s flagship. The turning
in front of their fleet. The Muslim point came when Ali Pasha’s flagship
galleys, meanwhile, were smaller and Sultana was boarded and taken, and
lighter, and depended on speed of his severed head displayed on a pike.
maneuver to gain advantage; on The Muslim fleet disintegrated, with
the Christian side, only the Venetian only Uluj Ali succeeding in rescuing
galleys, oared by free men, could his ships from the rout.