Piracy
The Isles of Scilly, 1651
John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath The Civil Wars By the 1620s, Scilly’s defences were in need of repair and improvement. Earthworks were built surrounding King Charles’ Castle, and the magazine, still standing today, was built by the gate of the Garrison. Further defences were added in the years up to 1651, particularly by the Royalist garrison, who made good…
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IMPERIAL ROME – THE FLEETS (CLASSES)
The origins of Rome’s imperial fleets were in many respects similar to those of the legions and auxilia. In the final bout of civil wars, Octavian’s struggle against Sextus Pompeius and the sea-battle at Actium in 31 bc had highlighted the political importance of controlling the seaways of the Mediterranean,…
NOVGOROD AND MOSCOVY RUS
Among the Slavic peoples it was foreordained that the people of Novgorod should become the innovators of sailing and shipbuilding. Owing to the diplomacy and judicious policies of its princes, Novgorod was never plundered by the Horde. With each successive year, craftsmanship developed; the merchants of Novgorod flourished as trade…
ROMAN CONTROL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
Pompey, ordered to clear the seas of pirates, had full authority over the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas, and all land within 80km (50 miles) of the sea. He raised 500 ships, 120,000 soldiers and 5000 cavalry. He then divided this force into 13 commands. The only area left (deliberately)…
A Jewel of Ottoman Naval History: The Book of Kâtib Çelebi on Naval Campaigns
A Jewel of Ottoman Naval History: The Book of Kâtib Çelebi on Naval Campaigns By Ruveyda Ozturk 1 and Dr. Salim Ayduz 2 Review of The Gift to the Great Ones on Naval Campaigns by Kâtib Çelebi, edited by Idris Bostan. Ankara: Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of Maritime Affairs, 2008. Hardcover…
The Ottomans and Their Rivals, Galleys and Galleons, Portolan Charts and Isolarii,
Svat Soucek, “The Ottomans and Their Rivals, Galleys and Galleons, Portolan Charts and Isolarii,” from his Piri Reis & Turkish Mapmaking After Columbus: The Khalili Portolan Atlas, Nour Foundation, 1995, pp. 10-33. THE OTTOMANS AND THEIR RIVALSTurkey is a country blessed with long and beautiful coasts along three seas:…
Bremen Piracy and Scottish Periphery
Bremen Piracy and Scottish Periphery: The North Sea World in the 1440s By David Ditchburn from: Ships, Guns and Bibles in the North Sea and Baltic States, c.1350-c.1700 (2000) Bremen and Hamburg were the eyes through which medieval Saxony viewed the North Sea. The two cities were not only the…