DIASPORIC COMMUNITIES IN RHODES 1350 -1450

DIASPORIC COMMUNITIES IN RHODES 1350 -1450 The Knights of Rhodes – the Hospitallers. INTRODUCTION: The History and the Growth of the Knights of Hospitallers The Knights Hospitaller, the Order of Hospitallers were a major Western Christian military order that originated during the Middle Ages. In 600AD, Pope Gregory the Great gave the commission to Abbot Probus to build a hospital in Holy Land of Jerusalem. In this hospital Christian pilgrims could find treatment and care. The Christian pilgrims had to face many epidemics, which frequently raged among them. In 800, Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy West Roman Empire, a fearless King, but also a compassionate benefactor made improvements to St John Hospice in Jerusalem. He took great interest in Christians of the East. So, he enlarged Probus' hospital and added a library to it. In 1005, Caliph Al Hakim destroyed the hospital and thousands other buildings in Jerusalem. In 1023, Caliph Ali az-Zahir of Egypt permitted to merchants from Amalfi and Salerno in Italy to rebuild the hospital in Jerusalem. The hospital was built on the site of the monastery of Saint John the Baptist and was served by Benedictine monks. The Order of Saint John the Hospitaller arose around the work of an Amalfitan hospital located at the Muristan site in Jerusalem, in order to provide care for poor, sick or injured pilgrims to the Holy Land. After the Western Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the organisation became a religious and military order under its own charter, and was charged with the care and defence of the Holy Land. Soon, the Hospitallers and the other Knights Orders became powerful and ere wandering the Mediterranean on missions of money, power and glory. The conquest of the Holy Land by Islamic forces of Saladin in 1187, the Order the of Hospitallers evacuated and reestablished themselves at Acre. After the fall of Acre in 1291, they found refuge in the Kingdom of Cyprus. There, they had some possessions . They were obliged to equip fleets to fight the Muslims on the sea and to protect the pilgrims of Holy Land. In 1306, they invaded the Byzantine island of Rhodes, under the Grand Master Foulques de Villaret. They wanted to make Rhodes a base for their order. On 15th August 1312, the island of Rhodes surrendered to the Knights Hospitallers and from then on they became known also as the «Knights of Rhodes.Knights of Rhodes» After the Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved, a part of their possessions was acquired by the Hospitallers, and the Knights of St. John became so wealthy that they had no rival among the Military Orders. The Knights of St. John were very rich. Their richness was not without risks for the Order. The ascetic party of the Knights Hospitaller started to express their complaints about the relaxation of the rules and luxury. Soon, an important number of knights demanded the resignation of Villaret. Then they nominated Maurice de Pagnac as Grand Master. As a result of this schism, the Order was divided between two Grand Masters, and the issue was laid for mediation before Pope John XXII. Following the death of Maurice de Pagnac and the resignation of Villaret, in 1323 the Pope appointed Helion de Villeneuve as Grand Master, ending the division. Villeneuve managed to bring the Knights Hospitallers into their original rules and principles of the order of Saint John the Hospitaller. CHAPTER 1: THE KNIGHTS OF RHODES The order of the Knights of saint John, as we referred, came to Rhodes «The island of Rhodes is situate in that part of the Mediterranean which is called the Carpathian sea. It has the island of Cyprus on the east, that of Candia on the west, Egypt on the south, and on the north lie Caria and Lycia, which make part of Asia Minor, now called Natolia, from which it is divided only by a channel, not above twenty miles broad. It is abont sixscore miles in circumference, the air is clear and temperate, the climate mild, and the soil almost every where fertile: the country abounds particularly in fruit-trees of all sorts. There were anciently iron and copper mines in it: and the inhabitants, who were famous for the perfection to which they carried their improvement of all manner of arts, employed these metals in making arms, warlike instruments, and especially statues, of which there were computed to be in the old town of Rhodes, no les9 than three thousand of different sizes, all wrought by excellent workmen, and representing either deities, princes or illustrious men. The city was, if I may use the expression, peopled with them; but of all these images the most remarkable and surprising was a colossus, consecrated to the sun, the tutelar god of the isle. Pliny tells us, that it was seventy cubits high, and that it was the work'of Chares of Lindus, a disciple of Lysippus. An earthquake overturned this prodigious statue There were few persons, adds the historian, that could clasp its thumb in their arms; its fingers were bigger than several statues, and large cavities being discovered after its fall, they found great stones within, which the excellent artist had so adjusted, as to poize the weight of the colossus, and keep, it firm upon its feet. I forbear to speak of the paintings and pictures with which their temples were filled, all master-pieces of art, and the works of the Parrhassius', the Protogenes, the Xeuxis', and the Appelles. The isle of Rhodes was no less famous for its academies, and for the great men that came out from thence, accomplished in all kinds of literature. It is sufficiently known to have been the school of the Romans, particularly for eloquence, and whither they went to perfect themselves in the talent of speaking, so necessary in that commonwealth, for all that were concerned in the government. But what is more yet surprising is, that theRhodians, a people of such application to arts and sciences, which seem only calculated for peace, were no less famous for their arms, their conquests, and their colonies. They excelled in the art of navigation; their ports were filled with ships; they had arsenals and magazines capable of fitting out whole fleets; and they became so powerful by sea, that there were not in all Asia a monarch but courted their alliance: but they never employed their forces more willingly than against pirates. It was by their skill in sailing, and a wise discipline, says Strabo, that they so long kept possession of the empire of the sea». L' Abbé de Vertot, The history of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, styled afterwards, the Knights of Rhodes, and at present, the Knights of Malta translated from the French of Mons., Edinburgh 1757, vol. II, 3.l, p. 388. in 1309. The island was part of the Great Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine troops fighted with the Knights. The fight was bloody, and they fought on both sides with a warmth and fury to be expected between foreign troops that would seize a country, and inhabitants that are defending their houses, lands, wives and children; the strongest motives in nature to animate a people the least warlike. Historians give us no farther account, than that there was a great deal of bloodshed on both sides; that the grand master lost the bravest of his knights; but that their valour and resolution at last carried the day, and the Greeks and infidels, no longer able to stand before them, quitted the field of battle; several Saracens, who despaired of being able to make head against the Latins, fled to the sea-side, embarked, and landing in the isles of the Archipelago,.and on the coast of Lycia, carried thither the first news of their defeat Ibid. 389. . After the Knights’ victory, soon the Hospitallers became mainly military order, because they had to defend the several valiant attempts of the Ottoman Turks, in order to capture the island and Dodecanese. The members of the order were representatives of all the major European Catholic countries. The local Greek orthodox community were somewhat persecuted by the knights and they cut off all spiritual connections with Constantinople soon after establishing themselves. Subsequently, the Orthodox bishopric of Rhodes was to remain a vacant see until the mid 15th century, when church unification was initiated. The Knights of Rhodes fortified very well the city of Rhodes. Under the rule of the newly named «Knights of Rhodes», the city of Rhodes was rebuilt into a model of the European medieval ideal. The prevailing architectural style in Rhodes city was the gothic style, imported from the homelands of the Knights in the West, and even came to influence the normally traditional Greek aesthetic tastes. Many of the city's famous monuments, including the Palace of the Grand Master, were built during this period. Then, the order of the Knights of Rhodes took possession of the neighbouring small islands, Nisara, Lero, Calamo, Episcbpta, Chalce, Simia, Tilo, and Cos «The grand master perceiving the importance of this island, caused the plan of a castle, fortified with several square towers, to be marked out; which, by his vigilance and care, was finished in a short time, and he left a knight to command there. His successors encouraged commerce, adorned the town with fine houses, and these with an infinite number of marble pillars and statues. This island afterwards became so powerful, under the government of the order, that it was considered as a second Rhodes», Ibid. 390. or Lango. Soon the island of Rhodes became a bishop's see, clergy were appointed, and churches built on the main island and the neighbouring islands as well. Steps were also taken for the promotion of industry, and for the administration of justice. The Order of the knights of Rhodes divided into seven exclusive national groups, consisting of Provence, Augergene, France, Italy, England, Spain and German. The group of Spain further divided into Aragon and Castle. So the groups became totally eight. Every language had its own lodge and the leaders of the Languages comprised the Council of the Grand Master. The Knights erected, upon the ruins of the older fortification, strong semi circular walls, which surrounded the city. They constructed a wide and deep moat outside the walls and erected ramparts, towers and battlements. The supreme authority of the order was referred to as the Grand Master. He was aided by Bailiffs, an advisory group. They spoke only two languages, Latin and French, while all spoke the local tongue of Greek. The Knights were divided into exclusive classes on the basis of the degree of aristocracy. They served as soldiers, nurses and clerics based on their level of proficiency. In the city of Rhodes the majority of inhabitants were Greeks, although there were also many merchants, craftsmen and soldiers from West Europe. Also, there were Jewish, who originated from Spain. The city’s fortifications were very strong, built to withstand the latest military technology: gunpowder. The most of the Knights were from noble families of Europe, so they had the money and the power to use many new technical methods for the city’s fortifications Throughout Rhodes they built or restored at least 30 castles or strong points, but the main illustration of their strength and military prowess came from within the Old Town, enclosed by a 4 kilometer thick circuit of walls and a moat During times of attack or siege each group was allotted to a section for defense. The Knights were heavily armed, with armour worn beneath a purple tunic decorated with an octagonal white cross on the chest. The armour was even heavier than that worn by the Byzantine Knights, and very much heavier than the Turkish mounted archers. In 1344 the knights, with the Genoese, retook Smyrna and held it for a short time. In 1365, in conjunction with the king of Cyprus, they captured Alexandria of Egypt, which, however, they were unable to retain. The capture of Smyrni with the support of other Latin powers (1334), the naval battle of Imvros (1347), where the Turkish navy was defeated, the expedition against Alexandria (1365) and the invasions against the coastal areas of Syria and Asia Minor (1376) are only some of the brave exploits of the Knights against the Turks. The Knights of St. John constituted a continual vibrant resistance of the western Christian world against Ottoman expansion. The Knights’ struggles saw the form of continual war expeditions, invasions of islands and coastal areas, incendiarisms and pirate activities in their attempt to thwart the enemy. The first decades of the 15th century, Rhodes were repeatatly subject to muslim attacks. In 1440,the egyptian fleet besieged The island in vain,while in 1444,the rhodians pushed back a new siege of the Mamelukes. A year later The Knights signed a peace agreement with egypt and exchanged their prisoners of war. The egyptian danger having been confronted,the turkish front still remained open. The peculiar state of The Knights ,well established in the aegean sea and with an instensive military action,was an obstacle to turkisk imperialism. The ottomans wanted this state out of the way at all cost,and their intention was made clear mainly after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. CHAPTER 2: THE BUILDINGS AND THE MEDIEVAL CITY OF RHODES The medieval city was located within a wall 4 km long. Itwas divided according to the Western classical style, with the high town to the north and the lower town south-south-west. Originally separated from the town by a fortified wall, the high town (Collachium) was entirely built by the Knights Hospitallers who, following the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, became the strongest military order in all Christendom. The order was organized into seven «Tongues», each having its own seat. The inns of the Tongues of Italy, France, Spain and Provence lined both sides of the principal east-west axis, the famous Street of the Knights, one of the finest testimonies to Gothic urbanism. Somewhat removed to the north, close to the site of the Knights' first hospice, stands the Inn of Auvergne, whose facade bears the arms of Guy de Blanchefort, Grand Master from 1512 to 1513. The original hospice was replaced in the 15th century by the Great Hospital, which had 205 rooms. It was builtt between 1440 and 1489, on the south side of the Street of the Knights. Also there were the Grand Masters' Palace and St John's Church. At the far eastern end of the Street of the Knights, built against the wall, was St Mary's Church, which the Knights transformed into a cathedral in the 15th century. The lower town is almost as dense with monuments as the Collachium. In 1522, with a population of 5,000, it was replete with churches, some of Byzantine construction. The Collachium’s church of Saint John was actually established during the early part of the 14th century AD. It is dedicated as a whole to the Saint John of the Collachium, who remained benefactor of the Order during his times. The Church of Saint John of the Collachium, Rhodes had got three aisles. This three-aisled church was built in accordance to the Gothic architectural style. This was prevalent during the Knights rule. The Church of Saint John of the Collachium in Rhodes was originally used for the burial of the Grand Masters. The Grant Masters Palace was not only the administrative center of the Knights but also a focus of social and intellectual activity for the upper classes of Rhodes. Τhe Knights' Hospital was built by the Knights in order to house and treat suffering pilgrims from the Holy Lands and later the Crusaders. It began to be built in 1440 by the Grand Master de Lastic and was completed in 1484 by the Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson. On the ground floor, right and left of its entrance, were arched openings to the storerooms. Near the middle of the building, the main entrance is through a similar opening, framed with carved decoration. Directly above this entrance was a three-sided niche with windows. These windows gave it some beauty into the monolithic and practically bare facade of the upper floor. This three-sided niche is a part of the chapel in the great hall on the upper floor. The main entrance leads through a colonnade into the inner courtyard which is surrounded on all four sides by a two-storey arcade with low-arched openings. The upper floor is reached by a magnificent staircase in the corner of the courtyard. BIBLIOGRAPHY L' Abbé de Vertot, The history of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, styled afterwards, the Knights of Rhodes, and at present, the Knights of Malta translated from the French of Mons., Edinburgh 1757. Barber, R., The Knight and Chivalry, Longman, London 1970. Borricand, R.,. Malte, histoire de l'ordre souverain militaire et hospitalier de Saint-Jean-de-Jerusalem, de Rhodes et de Malte. Aixen-Provence, 1968. Brockman, E., The Two Sieges of Rhodes: The Knights of St. John at War, 1480 and 1522 (reprint of London 1969 first edition), Barnes & Noble, New York, 1996. Bronstein, J., The Hospitallers and the Holy Land, financing the Latin East, 1187-1274, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2005. Butler, L. H., ed. A History of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, St. Martin's Press, London 1967. Forey, A. J., The Military Orders: From the Twelfth to the Early Fourteenth Centuries, MacMillan Education Ltd, Basingstoke, Hampshire 1992. Forey, A. J., Military Orders and Crusaders, Aldershot 1994. Hodges, D. J., Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller Historical Information, The Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller, Grand Priory of Australia, 1989. Johnson, P., A History of Christianity, Penguin Books Ltd, Harmonsworth, 1980. King, Ed. J., The Knights Hospitallers in the Holy Land, Methuen & Co. Ltd, London 1931. Kollias, E., The Knights of Rhodes, the Palace and the City, Edkotike Atheon S.A. Athens 1991. Luttrell, A., The Hospitallers in Cyprus, Rhodes, Greece and the West 1291-1440, Collected Studies Variorum Reprints, London 1978. Luttrell, A., «The Hospitallers of Rhodes: Prospectives, Problems, Possibilities», in Die Geistlichen Ritterorden Europas, edited by Josef Fleckenstein and Manfred Hellmann, pages 243-266, Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1980. Luttrell, A., The Hospitallers of Rhodes and Their Mediterranean World, Ashgate, Brookfield Vermont 1992. Luttrell, A., Latin Greece, the Hospitallers, and the Crusades, 1291-1440, Variorum Press, London 1982. Nicole, D., Knight Hospitaller (1) 1100-1306, Osprey Publishing, Wellingborough 2001. Nicole, D., Knight Hospitaller (2) 1306-1565, Osprey Publishing, Wellingborough 2001. Rossi, E., «The Hospitallers at Rhodes, 1421-1513. in A History of the Crusades», Vol. 3, edited by Kenneth Setton, 314-339, University of Wisconsin Press, Milwaukee 1975. Runciman, St., A History of the Crusades (3 vols), Penguin Books 4th Edition 1991. Scicluna, H. P., Some Important Documents of the Archives of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem and of Malta, Malta 1912. 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