Oct 7, 1571

It's an event certainly worth commemorating. The Battle of Lepanto (Inebahti in Turkish) was the last battle fought in the Mediterranean Sea strictly between galleys. In that sense it almost represents an anchronism. Square-rigged caravels and similar kogs had long replaced ships propelled by oarsmen everywhere else in the Western world. The Christian Holy League was slightly outnumbered at the start of the fight; by the end of the battle, Turkish losses were at least 10 times greater.

Although Don John of Austria was technically the senior commander of the Holy League forces, a large segment of those forces came from either Spain or the Spanish possessions of Sicily, Sardinia and the Kingdom of Naples. The main result of the battle's outcome was that -- in a technical and political sense, at least -- the Med was made safe for Christian merchant shipping once more. It had been pretty well under the control of Turkish Muslim forces.

Yes, Cervantes was at the battle and some of his biographers have suggested that it was a near-traumatic experience for the Spanish hidalgo and coloured his later attitudes toward warfar, chivalry and the rest of the Medieval clap-trap was fast coming to an end.

What's up with the rest of you history buffs out there? No comments on one of the most significant maritime events of the 16th century? Setanta, where you at?