Rhodes, City

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Rhodes, the capital City of the Isle of Rhodes, is situate on the Sea-side, at the foot of an Hill that grows insensibly steep, and in an agreeable Plain in the Northern part of this Island. It is environed with several little Hills full of Springs, and cover'd with Orange, Pomegranate, and other Trees of that nature. When it was besieged by Mahomet IId. in 1480, it was surrounded with a double Wall, and fortified with several great Towers. But to the South part, and on that Side where the Jews dwelt, in the lower Town, the Towers were at greater distance one from another; and 'tis that which rendred the Place very much weaker. That quarter thereof where the Knights lived was stronger; for besides that the Sea surrounded it to the North and East, it was fortified with Bastions and Towers; the Port was towards the East, and a little to the North. It's formed of two Moles, which coming near one another in a Demi-circle, leave no space between them, but for one Ship to pass. The Entrance of it is flanked with two great Towers, built upon two Rocks, and upon these two Rocks was formerly placed the famous Brasen Colossus of the Sun: It had one Foot fixed upon the Top of one of the Rocks, and the other upon the other Rock, in so much that Ships with Masts erect might pass between the Legs of it. There are two small Gulfs adjoining to the Port, to the North and South. The Gulf which faces to the North is shut up with a Mole, which enters above three hundred Paces into the Sea, and at the end of that Mole is a Fort, which is called St. Nicholas Tower. The Grand Master, Zacosta, caused this Tower to be built, which was called by that Name, because there had been a Church called St. Nicholas in the place where it was built. Mahomet IId. looked upon the Isle of Rhodes as a Place that might facilitate the Conquests of Egypt and Syria; and laid a Design of besieging this City in the year 1479. The Ottoman Fleet commanded by the Basha Paleologus, arrived at Rhodes the 23d. of May, 1480. It consisted of an hundred and sixty Ships, and carried at least an hundred thousand fighting Men. The Turks coming a-shore lodged themselves forthwith upon the Mount of St. Etienne, and in the neighbouring Plains. Scarce were they encamped, when a Troop of their Forlorn-hope came to skirmish as far as the Gates of the City; but they were cut to pieces by the Viscount du Monteil, eldest Brother to the Grand Master d' Aubusson. Demetrius, who led them, had the Honour to die there with his Arms in his hands, too much for a Runagade and a Traitor. These first Attempts having not succeeded well for the Infidels, the German Engineer, named George Frapam, was of opinion that the Tower of St. Nicholas should be battered first. Next morning that Engineer presented himself before the Ditch of the Town, over against the Grand Master's Palace, and demanded Entrance, which was granted him. He pretended he would take the besieged's part, as being willing to preferr the Interest of his Salvation before that of his Fortune. The Grand Master imagined he might make good use of this Engineer; but yet that he ought not to be trusted; and therefore ordered that he should be observed as a Spy, and be always followed by persons who should constantly keep him in view. In the mean time the Basha Paleologus caused his greatest Cannon to be brought thither, where he raised the first Battery. St. Nicholas Tower was shattered and much ruined in divers places. So that Terror having seized upon all the Inhabitants, their Spirits were revived by the Exhortations of Anthony Fradin, a Franciscan, who did almost the same at Rhodes as John Capistran had done at Belgrade. The Grand Master knowing of what importance that Place was for the preservation of the Town, laboured all that night to put it into a posture of Defence, and put himself, together with his Brother, the Viscount du Monteil, into the Tower. The next day the Turks hoised Anchor from before Mount St. Etienne, and drew near unto St. Nicholas Tower with the sound of Tabrets and Trumpets. These Barbarians leapt a-shore, and ran to the Attack with a furious Transport. On the besieged's part, the artificial Fires, Vollies of great Shot, Showers of small Shot, Arrows and Stones, had a terrible Effect. Besides the Fire-ships had fired divers of the Turkish Gallies, and the Artillery of the Town very much annoyed those who defended themselves from the Fire-ships. So that the Enemy who before gloried that they would out-brave Death, fled and re-entred their Gallies with Precipitation. The Basha having had so bad Success on that Side, brought eight great Pieces of Cannon before the Walls of the Jews, near unto the Post of Italy, where the Cannon and Mortars of the Turks made so horrible an havock, that the Spaniards and Italians had already caballed to excite the Grand Master to surrender the Town; but their Proposals had no other Effect, than to discover their Faintheartedness, for which they immediately repented, and afterwards did Wonders.

The Basha who pretended to reduce the Place by his great Cannon, finding the besieged speak nothing of a Capitulation, and being unwilling to hazard the storming of it, had recourse to Treason, and sent for two Runagades who had been in the Turkish Camp from the beginning of the Siege, and had abjured the Christian Religion, and promised them a great Reward if they could kill the Grand Master by Sword or Poison. The Runagades engaged to doe the Work, and returned into Rhodes, pretending they had fallen into the hands of the Barbarians. At the second Sallie they were received there as persons who had escaped from Captivity; but their Treason having been discovered, they were publickly executed. Then the Basha had no other hopes of carrying it but by Force, since he was not able to prevail by Treachery. He turned all his Efforts against St. Nicholas Tower, which he had abandoned, and made a furious Attack, which was vigorously sustained by the Grand Master. The Bridge was cut to pieces by the Batteries on the Tower, which also sunk four Gallies, with divers Ships of War. This hindred not the Infidels to continue their Attack, where the most remarkable of their Commanders were left upon the Place, and amongst others Ibrahim, Mahomet's Son-in-law. The Death of this Prince allayed the Fury of the Barbarians. They ran away, maugre the Resolution of the Basha who exhorted them to revenge the Death of the Son-in-law of the Grand Signior. And so shamefull a Retreat cast the General Paleologus into a deep Sorrow, and obliged him to think no longer of attempting any thing against St. Nicholas Tower, which appeared to him impregnable. He formed a Design of reducing the City, by dividing the besieged, and attacking of it in divers Places at once. In the mean time the German Engineer was known to be a Traytor; and after having confess'd his Crime, he was publickly hanged. The Basha was sensibly afflicted for the Death of this Traytor, upon whom he depended much. And after having sent an Embassador to Rhodes, who made fruitless Threats and Promises, he commanded all the Engines to be put on work, and to batter the Town night and day. They in a little time expended three thousand five hundred Shot, but that frighted not the Rhodians, who prepared to sustain the Assault.

Finally, on the 27th. of July the Ottoman Army assaulted the Town on all Sides, and presently gained the Jews Quarter, which the Knights regained after an Engagement of two hours. The Turks returned to the Charge, and had Orders from the Basha, to single out the Grand Master from among the rest, and not to spare him. Fresh Men like furious Beasts fell upon the Christians, and the most audacious advanced up towards the Grand Master, who received five Wounds all at a time; nevertheless they were constrained to fly, and the other Turks who had met a vigorous resistance every-where, quitted their Attacks when they saw the Walls of the Jews abandoned. At the same time they went out at the Breaches in great numbers, and the Rhodians pursued the Ottoman Army as far as their Camp. The Basha Paleologus endeavoured to rally his Troops in vain, and was himself forced to get to the Sea-shore. The victorious Knights returned into the Town with the Grand-Signior's Standard, which they had brought away from before the Tent of the Basha. Whereupon Paleologus seeing that neither open Force, nor secret Treachery could prevail, immediately gave Orders to imbark; but while this was a-doing, and that the Turks took their Warlike Engines and all their Baggage on board, there appeared two great Ships, which Ferdinand, King of Naples, had sent to the Relief of the Knights of Rhodes. The Basha, Paleologus, caused them to be battered from the Shore with the Artillery which he had not yet imbarked, being not able to attack them by his Ships which had the Wind contrary, one of these Ships entred happily into the Port, and the other stayed in the Channel, because of the Shot she had received, and found her self next day very near the Infidels Fleet. The Basha sent twenty Gallies to seize upon her, and commanded the General of the Gallies to goe thither himself; but after a bloody Engagement of three hours, the Turks were obliged to withdraw; and the Death of the General of the Gallies made them abandon the Ship. The Ottoman Fleet put out to Sea on the 19th. of August, and sailed towards Port Fisco, where after they had debarked their Land-army, they continued their Course towards Constantinople. Thus Rhodes continued in the Power of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem; but forty two years after, Solyman IId. made himself Master thereof, in 1522, by the Treachery of Amurath, a Portuguese, and Chancellor of the Order. Bellonius speaking of Rhodes saith, That it's seated in a Plain, fenced with double Walls, thirteen Towers and five Bastions of great strength and beauty. And adds, That the Turks have to this day so great a Veneration for the Valour of those Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, that they preserve their Houses as they left them, with all the Arms, Paintings, Statues and Inscriptions; and have put the Walls of the City in the same state they were in before the Siege. From hence these Knights passed to Sicily, and in 1530 obtained from Charles the Vth. the Isle of Malta. Two small Bays join to that Harbour on the North and South sides. The former is locked up by a Mole, which enters into the Sea above 300 paces, bearing a Fort called the Tower of St. Nicholas, built by the Order in 1464. Bosio. P. Bouhours.