Von der Landern Asie [Battle of Lepanto]

Near-contemporary account from the Battle of Lepanto.

The Battle of Lepanto took place in the Ionian Sea in western Greece on October 7, 1571. A navy comprised of a coalition of Catholic states handily defeated a large assembly of Turkish ships, turning the tide in the Ottoman expansion across Europe. According to historian Paul Davis,

“More than a military victory, Lepanto was a moral one. For decades, the Ottoman Turks had terrified Europe, and the victories of Suleiman the Magnificent caused Christian Europe serious concern. The defeat at Lepanto further exemplified the rapid deterioration of Ottoman might under Selim II, and Christians rejoiced at this setback for the Ottomans. The mystique of Ottoman power was tarnished significantly by this battle, and Christian Europe was heartened.”

This is a fragment of text that describes the battle about three decades after it first took place. It originated in a German-language edition of Sebastian Munster’s ‘Cosmographia’ around 1600. It begins “in the year 1571” and provides information on the course of the engagement and the respective naval commanders. A woodcut view of the chaotic sea battle can be seen as well.

Reference: 100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present by Paul Davis, 2001.