The History of Greece under the Ottoman and Venetian Domination

Front matter

GREECE UNDER OTHOMAN AND VENETIAN DOMINATION PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH. THE HISTORY OF GREECE UNDER OTHOMAN AND VENETIAN DOMINATION BY GEOKGE FIN LAY, LL.D. Con. Member of the Royal Society of Literature, Member of the American Antiquarian Society, Corresponding Member of the Archæological Institute at Rome, Knight Gold Cross of the Greek Order of the Redeemer " From out the mass of never-dying ill, The plague, the prince, the stranger, and the sword, Vials of wrath but emptied to refill And flow again, I cannot all record ' WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCOCLVI

Preface

. This volume concludes the History of Greece under Foreign Domination. I have divided the long records of Hellenic servitude, which embrace nearly two thousand years, into six periods, each offering a distinct phase of Greek history : — 1. Greece under the Bomans; 2. The Byzantine Empire ; 3. Greece under the Crusa ders, who destroyed the Byzantine Empire ; 4. The Greek Empire of Constantinople ; 5. The Empire of Trebizond ; and, 6. The Othoman and Venetian Domi nation.* I commenced this work as an introduction to the History of the Greek Bevolution. My original design was enlarged by the conviction that in history there is no present. Without an accurate knowledge of the various ties which connect the events we witness with * The four volumes previously published are — I. Greece under the Romans ; an Historical View of the Condition of the Greek Nation, from its Conquest by the Romans until the Extinction of the Roman Power in the East, B.C. 116 to a.d. 716.

II. III. The History of the Byzantine Empire, a.d. 716 to 1204. The History of the Greek Empire of Nicæa and Constantinople, a.d. 1204 to 1453. IV. Medieval Greece and Trebizond ; the History of Greece from its Conquest by the Crusaders to its Conquest by the Turks, a.d. 1204 to 1566. The History of the Empire of Trebizond, a.d. 1204 to 1461.

PREFACE.

. those that have preceded ; without a just appreciation of the circumstances which have moulded the characters of both nations and statesmen ; and without some per ception of the progress of public events which must exert an influence over the future, it is impossible to form an equitable judgment on the history of our own times. My object in becoming an author was to trace the success of the Greek Bevolution to its true causes, and to examine the circumstances which tend to facilitate or to obstruct the progress of the Greeks in their attempt to consolidate a system of civil liberty on the firm basis of national institutions. The records of foreign domination in Greece may be extended to the year 1843, when a popular insurrection put an end to the domination of Bavarian officials, and rendered the Greeks the arbiters of their political organisation.

That revolution was perhaps the true term of my History ; but the difficulty of combining calm criticism of the acts of living men with an im partial narrative of contemporary events, makes me doubt whether I am competent to be the historian of the Greek Bevolution. " He who the sword of Heaven will bear, Should be as holy as severe." GEORGE FINLAY. Athens, 1st December 1856. CONTENTS. HISTORY OF GREECE UNDER OTHOMAN AND VENETIAN DOMINATION. A.D. 1453-1821.

Chapter I

the political and military organisation of the othoman empire, by which the greeks were retained in subjection. — a.d. 1453-1684. Page Measures of the Othoman conquerors to consolidate their domination, . 1 Position of the Greeks in the Othoman empire, .... 5 Extent of the empire, ... .... 7 Degradation of the Greek population, ..... 8 Stability of the Othoman power, . . .... 9 Its institutions, . . . . . . . .11 Tribute-children, . . . . . . . .12 Ulema, ......... 13 First class of institutions ; those derived from the Koran, ... 14 Second class ; those derived from the Seljouk empire, . . . 15 Third class; those peculiar to the Othoman government, . . . 18 Kanun-name of Mohammed II., . ..... 19 Administrative divisions, . . ..... 21 Defective administration of justice, ...... 22 Nizam Djedid of Mustapha Kueprily, a.d. 1691, .... 25 Financial administration, . ...... 25 Haratsh, ......... 26 Commercial taxes, ........ 27 Land-tax, ......... 29 Depreciation of the currency, ...... 32 Project of exterminating the Christian subjects of the Sultan, . . 35 Improvement in the Othoman administration, .... 37 Murder authorised by an organic law of the empire, ... 38 Othoman army, ........ 38 41 Feudal militia, 42 Janissaries, Regular cavalry — Sipiahis, . . . . . • .44 45 Tribute of Christian children, Irregular troops, ........ 50 Christian troops and auxiliaries, ...... 55 Decline of the administrative system, ..... vi CONTENTS. Page Venality, S8 Wealth, 60 Discipline long maintained in the army, . . • •

Chapter II. The Naval Conquests Op The Othomans In Greece

— A.D. 1453-1684. Decline of the Greek population during this period, ... 66 Effects of the Othoman conquest, ...... 6 < Extent of country inhabited by the Greek race which remained under the domination of the Latins after the conquest of Constantinople, . 69 Conquest of Mytilene, a.d. 1462, ...... 70 Venetian war, a.d. 1463-1479, ...... 72 Conquest of the dominions of Leonardo di Tocco, a.d. 1479, . . 74 Venetian war, a.d. 1499-1502, ...... 76 Conquest of Rhodes, a.d. 1522, ...... 78 Invasion of the Morea by Andrea Doria, a.d. 1532, .... 82 Venetian war, a.d. 1537-1540, ...... 83 Conquest of Chios, a.d. 1566, ...... 85 Extinction of the Duchy of Naxos, a.d. 1566, . . . . 92 Conquest of Cyprus, a.d. 1570, ...... 92 Battle of Lepanto, a.d. 1571, ...... 96 State of the Greek population a.d. 1573-1644, .... 99 Maritime warfare and piracy in the Grecian seas, .... 103 Knights of Malta, . . . . . . . .108 Order of St Stefano and navy of Tuscany, . . . . .112 Exploits of the Othoman navy, ...... 119 Depopulation of the coasts of Greece by the maritime expeditions of the Christian powers, . . . . . . .122 Ravages of the Cossacks on the shores of the Black Sea, . . . 125 War of Candia, a.d. 1645-1669, . . . . . .127 Subjugation of Maina, . . . . . . . 132 Apostasies of Christians, . . . . . . .139

Chapter III

social condition of the greeks until the extinction of the tribute of christian children a.d. 1453-1676. The cultivators of the soil become the true representatives of the Greek nation for three centuries, . . . . . .142 Decline in the numbers and civilisation of the Greek race during this period, 145 A certain degree of improvement takes place in the material wealth of the town population, . . . . . . .148 Animosity between the Greeks and Catholics, .... 150 Toleration displayed by Mohammed II., ..... 151 Contrast between the moral condition of the Greeks and Turks at this period, CONTENTS. vii Page Influence of monachism on Greek society, . . . . .156 Position of the Greek Church at the time of the Othoman conquest, . 159 Re-establishment of an orthodox Patriarch at Constantinople by Mohammed II., 161 Simouiacal elections of the Patriarchs, . . . . .166 Story of a trick by which the Greeks pretend that the Patriarch Jeremiah saved the churches of Constantinople, . . . .168 The Greek laity abstained from appealing to Othoman courts of justice more steadily than the clergy, . . . . . .174 Increase of ecclesiastical corruption, . . . . .176 General good conduct of the secular clergy preserved the profound reverence of the Greek people for their church, . . . .180 Political and social position of the laity, . . . . .183 Effect of the immigration of Spanish Jews into the Levant, . . 190 Order prevalent in the cities of the Othoman empire, . . . 192 Extinction of the tribute of Christian children, .... 194

Chapter IV. History Of The Venetian Domination In Greece

— A.D. 1684-1718. Behaviour of the Othoman government to the representatives of the Christian powers at the Sublime Porte, . . . . . .197 Venetian republic declares war with the Porte, .... 205 Francesco Morosini, ........ 207 Campaign in Greece, A.D. 1684, ...... 209 German mercenaries in the service of Venice, .... 210 Campaign of 1685, ........ 211 Campaign of 16S6, ........ 214 Campaign of 1687, ........ 218 Siege of Athens and destruction of the Parthenon, .... 221 Campaign of 168S — Siege of Negrepont, ..... 226 Venetian deserters, ....•••• 2-9 Peace of Carlovitz, a.d. 1699, ...... 233 Venetian administration in the Morea, ..... 234 Population, revenues, and commerce, ..... 236 Civil government and condition of the people, .... 241 Maniates, ....•■••• 247 State of property and administration of justice, . . . .248 Ecclesiastical administration, ....... 252 Influence of Catholic clergy, . ... . . • .256 Foreign relations of Venice, ....••• 258 War between Russia and Turkey, ...••• 258 Conquest of the Morea by Ali Cumurgi, ..... 263 Siege of Corinth, ....•••■ 265 Siege of Nauplia, ....-••• 270 Siege of Modon, .....■•• 272 War between Austria and Turkey, ...•■• 275 Peace of Passarovitz, . • ■ • • ■ • . _!.- Vices of the Venetian government, ...... Vlii CONTENTS.

Chapter V. The Causes And Events Which Prepared The Greeks For Independence. A.d. 1718-1821

Page Improvement in the condition of the people during the eighteenth century, 280 Condition of the inhabitants of Chios, ..... 283 Comparison of Chios with Tinos and Naxos, ..... 287 Religious contests of the Catholics and Orthodox in the Othoman empire, . 289 Intrigues of the court of France, ...... 290 Character and influence of the Phanariots, or Greek officials in the service of the Sultan, ........ 293 Voivodes of Vallachia and Moldavia, . . . . . .297 Treaty of Belgrade, A.D. 1739, ...... 300 Intrigues of Russia, ........ 301 Montenegro, ......... 303 Maina, ......... 303 War between Turkey and Russia, A.D. 1768-1774, .... 305 Austrian minister insulted at Constantinople, .... 306 Operations of the Russians in the Morea, ..... 307 Defeat of the Russians and Greeks at Tripolitza, .... 313 Destruction of the Othoman fleet at Tchesme, . . . .316 Defeat of the Russians at Lemnos, ...... 320 Peace of Kainardje, a.d. 1774, ...... 322 Hassan Ghazi exterminates the Albanian troops in the Morea, . . 323 Establishes the authority of the capitan-pasha in Maina, . . . 324 Fresh intrigues of Russia, ....... 326 War between Turkey and Russia, a.d. 1787-1792, .... 327 Albanians of Suli, ........ 328 Lambros Katzones and the Greek privateers, .... 330 Cruelties and piracies in the Grecian seas, ..... 331 Peace of Yassi, a.d. 1792, ....... 334 Influence of the French Revolution, ...... 334 French domination in the Ionian Islands, ..... 335 Parga, .......... 337 English protection of the Ionian republic, ..... 338 Improvement in the condition of the Greek people, . . . 340 Influence of the Phanariots on national consolidation, . . . 343 Of commerce, ......... 343 Improvement of the modern Greek language a powerful instrument in advancing national centralisation, ..... 347 Eugenios Bulgares and Adamantios Koraes, ..... 348 Municipal institutions, . . . . , . .351 Decline of the Othoman power, ...... 352 Conclusion, ......... 354