Maltese Knight 
Maltese Knight (painted by Jacopo Tintoretto, 1560-65)
Posted on 07/07/2007 1:10:40 PM PDT by wagglebee
Yes, you are right - it is about the siege of Rhodes.
Book Review
“In A Knight of the White Cross, G.A. Henty writes about the Knights of St. John and their successful defense of Rhodes during the first siege by the Turks at the end of the 15th century.
After the fall of Jerusalem to the Moslems, the Knights of St. John established themselves at Acre, then at Crete, and then at Rhodes. Finally, dislodged from Rhodes by the second Turkish siege, they fortified themselves at Malta, which they held against all attacks.
These very few extraordinary men, sworn to chastity and poverty, served as guardians of the Mediterranean Sea against piracy and stood as a primary defense of Christian Europe against the Moslem world.
While Europe was inching forward toward the era in which it would nurture the freedom, science, and technology that has built our modern world, this handful of men in metal suits, wielding great two-handed swords and battle axes, stood guard against her enemies and bought time for that sociological and technological development.
Henty paints vivid images of the life and times of the peoples of that era and subjects his hero to numerous exciting adventures, but the most riveting image of the book occurs during the battle itself.
The Turks had effected a breach in the wall of the fortress at Rhodes, and thousands of Turkish soldiers were pouring upward over the pile of rubble in front of that breach. In the breach stood a handful of Knights with a small number of their kinsmen in reserve.
At first the loud noise of battle and the shouts of the combatants filled the air, but, as the struggle for the breach continued - hour after brutal hour - the combatants became too tired to shout and the struggle continued in almost complete silence except for the sound of the blows of the swords and axes.
Gradually, the breach itself grew higher until, near the end of the battle, the Knights and Moslems were fighting in a mound of corpses that totaled nearly a thousand dead. The line of steel in the breach held - and, the next day, it held again. Elsewhere on the battlefield, the Moslems were also driven back. The Turkish force of between 70,000 and 100,000 men withdrew - beaten in hand-to-hand combat by a force 50-fold smaller than their number.
The fortress itself, of course, played its part. The walls and terrain constrained the battle to relatively short front lines, so the Turks could bring only a small part of their army to bear on the Knights at anyone time. The Knights themselves were so well disciplined, trained, and conditioned that they could fight for many hours in combat against a continually renewed Moslem front line.
We scientists have our own heroes. They are mostly quiet, delicate men - men of the mind who developed the structures of mathematics, science, and engineering on which we stand. It is important to remember, however, that the civilization within which they and we have been able to do our work was purchased with the courage, honor, and lives of many valiant soldiers - both of ancient and modern times.
Without our technological heroes, this civilization would be more primitive, but there would still be life and freedom for the human spirit. Without the sacrifices of those soldiers, there would be nothing.”
What was the ending? Did they hold the fort. Attention span waning and have to get back to Live Earth show. Madonna is about to come on.
I had heard of this, and forgotten the name of the group of knights. Thanks for posting this. I am a history buff of sorts, and eagerly look forward to reading up on this.
Get the book "Gates of Fire". It's even better.
ping
Re Picture of a fighting knight
Sorry you have a picture of the Knights Templar not the not the Knights of St John. I created a collection of 40 different pieces entitled The Crusaders” you can see them at
http://www.artbyec.com/artp5crusader.htm
The Knights Templar wore white with red crosses.
thanks, bfl
Uhm, civ... don’t mean to prod... but, you didn’t ping anyone... (except wagglebee)
I have just returned from there - my daughter has just closed on an apartment in the Grand Harbour next door to Fort St. Angelo.
Nuke ‘em from orbit it’s the only way to be sure
....but ...but I thought it was our fault for “meddling” in the Middle East is the reason the religion of peace hates us.......s/
I lived in Malta for a time...great country to visit...the musuem is wonderfull.
It was one Hell of a battle - literally, a vision of Hell on Earth.
I hope it never again comes to that point again, but just like then much of Europe as well as much of the US isn’t concerned.
Bump
ping for later
I’ve just spent a couple hours digging. Beyond fascinating, beyond intriguing.
During World War II Malta was relentlessly bombed by German forces in an attempt to take over as Malta is very strategically placed for a European conflict. More bombs were dropped on Malta in two months in 1942 than on London in the whole of the blitz. Still Malta could not be conquered nor the Maltese spirit broken.
ALREADY DONE! by: Michael Bonello
The Great Siege: Malta 1565
1999-Military & War/Politics & Government/World History
PLOT DESCRIPTION
The unceasing march of the Ottoman Empire was halted in the mid-16th century in one of the most dramatic battles ever fought. Director Michael Bonello breathes life into the historic happening in The Great Siege of Malta 1565. Pitting the Turks against the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, the war was more than a bid for territory. It was a showdown between Christians and Muslims and a triumph of the underdog. The video release coincides with the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Knights order. Bonello re-creates the battle with detailed accuracy, using the same battlegrounds and exact replicas of the soldiers’ uniforms. Though outnumbered four to one, the 9,000 men of Malta held their own in this unbelievable story of a fight for freedom. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
» Rate or Review ‘The Great Siege: Malta 1565’
Fantastic story. Thanks wagglebee.
Maltese Knight Maltese Knight (painted by Jacopo Tintoretto, 1560-65)
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