Doctor
Páginas: 5 (1176 palabras)
Publicado: 13 de enero de 2013
Mediterranean History- History 301
Ivan Galvis- 3.1.2012
In “The Captive’s Tale”, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra recounts the story of military participation against the Ottoman Empire in the Battle at Lepanto and other subsequent military engagements until his capture and enslavement between 1575-to 1580.
What is interesting among the observations one may perceive is that Cervantes camefrom a family that obviously had means but who were not aristocratic. His grandfather and father had had fairly well paying positions and his mother came from a family of some means. Being one of the youngest of a family of five siblings, Cervantes like many other Spaniards of dwindling family resources has to search for his own wealth. He ends up in Rome working for Cardinal Acquavica for at leasta year in 1569 and then he enlists in 1571.
His initial placement is serving as a private in the company commanded by Captain Diego de Urbina. This company belonged to a bigger regiment commanded by Miguel de Moncada, and on the 16th of September, he sailed from Messina on board the "Marquesa", which was a ship under the general command of John of Austria, brother of Philip II of Spain.
Itis important to understand that at the Battle of Lepanto, was a crucial encounter between the two dominant powers in the Mediterranean. Up to this point, it appeared to all Western powers that the Ottomans were invincible at sea and what were at stake were dominion of the commercial trade in the Mediterranean and a clash of religions/civilizations.
On October 7, 1751, the Holy league puttogether by Pope Pious V, defeated the Ottoman Empire’s fleet for the first time at a location in western Greece, at the Gulf of Patras. This decisive win did not alter the balance of power but it destroyed the myth of Ottoman naval superiority and led to a stop of planned invasions of Italy, it also saved the southern flank of Europe from attacks and prevented total domination of the sea as highway forcommerce for the western powers of Genoa, Venice, the Papal states and Spain.
At the battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571) the "Marquesa" participated in the most heated parts of the engagement and Cervantes suffered three gun wounds and lost the use of his right hand. On the 30th of October the fleet returned to Messina, and on April 29th, 1572 he was transferred to Captain Manuel Ponce deLeon’s company in Lope de Figueroa's regiment.
According to what we may infer from his story, there seem to be discrepancies in his retelling, may be because the embellishments made for a better story but he did participate as a free man in the conflict at Navarino on the 7th of October 1572, and also in the capture of Tunis on October 1573, and in the unsuccessful expedition to relieve the Goleta in1574.
Palermo and Naples were his last two postings in military service before his enslavement, and upon the arrival of Don John at Naples on the 18th of June 1575, he was granted leave to return to Spain. The Duke of Sessa and John of Austria awarded him letters of recommendation, which would eventually prove his salvation.
Close by Marseille, his ship was intercepted by Berber piratesand in the company of his brother and twelve other Spaniards, he was rendered into slavery. Up to this point, it is obvious the power of the Spanish crown and its extensive holdings in Europe, having colonies in Italy and being the main power behind the papacy. It is also important to note that the other Christian powers: France, Portugal and the Holy Roman Empire did not take part in theengagement.
The reasons were similar; these kingdoms had their own “modus vivendi’ agreement with the Ottoman empire. For example France and the Holy Roman Kingdom had trading privileges or did not compete directly in trade and Portugal was heavily engaged already fighting the Ottomans in Morocco and did not have more resources to spare. France used its agreement with the Ottoman Empire to counter...
Ivan Galvis- 3.1.2012
In “The Captive’s Tale”, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra recounts the story of military participation against the Ottoman Empire in the Battle at Lepanto and other subsequent military engagements until his capture and enslavement between 1575-to 1580.
What is interesting among the observations one may perceive is that Cervantes camefrom a family that obviously had means but who were not aristocratic. His grandfather and father had had fairly well paying positions and his mother came from a family of some means. Being one of the youngest of a family of five siblings, Cervantes like many other Spaniards of dwindling family resources has to search for his own wealth. He ends up in Rome working for Cardinal Acquavica for at leasta year in 1569 and then he enlists in 1571.
His initial placement is serving as a private in the company commanded by Captain Diego de Urbina. This company belonged to a bigger regiment commanded by Miguel de Moncada, and on the 16th of September, he sailed from Messina on board the "Marquesa", which was a ship under the general command of John of Austria, brother of Philip II of Spain.
Itis important to understand that at the Battle of Lepanto, was a crucial encounter between the two dominant powers in the Mediterranean. Up to this point, it appeared to all Western powers that the Ottomans were invincible at sea and what were at stake were dominion of the commercial trade in the Mediterranean and a clash of religions/civilizations.
On October 7, 1751, the Holy league puttogether by Pope Pious V, defeated the Ottoman Empire’s fleet for the first time at a location in western Greece, at the Gulf of Patras. This decisive win did not alter the balance of power but it destroyed the myth of Ottoman naval superiority and led to a stop of planned invasions of Italy, it also saved the southern flank of Europe from attacks and prevented total domination of the sea as highway forcommerce for the western powers of Genoa, Venice, the Papal states and Spain.
At the battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571) the "Marquesa" participated in the most heated parts of the engagement and Cervantes suffered three gun wounds and lost the use of his right hand. On the 30th of October the fleet returned to Messina, and on April 29th, 1572 he was transferred to Captain Manuel Ponce deLeon’s company in Lope de Figueroa's regiment.
According to what we may infer from his story, there seem to be discrepancies in his retelling, may be because the embellishments made for a better story but he did participate as a free man in the conflict at Navarino on the 7th of October 1572, and also in the capture of Tunis on October 1573, and in the unsuccessful expedition to relieve the Goleta in1574.
Palermo and Naples were his last two postings in military service before his enslavement, and upon the arrival of Don John at Naples on the 18th of June 1575, he was granted leave to return to Spain. The Duke of Sessa and John of Austria awarded him letters of recommendation, which would eventually prove his salvation.
Close by Marseille, his ship was intercepted by Berber piratesand in the company of his brother and twelve other Spaniards, he was rendered into slavery. Up to this point, it is obvious the power of the Spanish crown and its extensive holdings in Europe, having colonies in Italy and being the main power behind the papacy. It is also important to note that the other Christian powers: France, Portugal and the Holy Roman Empire did not take part in theengagement.
The reasons were similar; these kingdoms had their own “modus vivendi’ agreement with the Ottoman empire. For example France and the Holy Roman Kingdom had trading privileges or did not compete directly in trade and Portugal was heavily engaged already fighting the Ottomans in Morocco and did not have more resources to spare. France used its agreement with the Ottoman Empire to counter...
Leer documento completo
Regístrate para leer el documento completo.