When the Serenissima and the Gran Turco Made Love: The Peace Treaty of 1478
By Diana Gilliland Wright and Pierre A. MacKay
Studi Veneziani, Vol.53 (2007)
Introduction: Although a transcription of the 1478 Venetian-Ottoman peace treaty or ‘ahd-name was published by Franz Miklosich and Ioseph Müller in 1865, there has been no scholarly edition or English translation of this intriguing text. Miklosich and Müller apparently did not appreciate the forms and spelling of the ‘ahd-name – often difficult to understand – and published a ‘correct’ version with classicized verbs. While this does not interfere with the content and meaning of the ‘ahd-name, it does affect a perception of the document within its culture and as an example of the development of the Greek vernacular, and there is no accompanying commentary or contextual explanation.
In contrast, numerous other Venetian-Ottoman documents and treaties have been published with transcriptions and commentaries. Two groups in particular should be noticed: the treaties directly preceding the 1478 treaty – that of 1446 published by Franz Babinger and Franz Dölger, and that of 1454 published by Samuele Romanin; and the subsequent treaties of 1482 through 1641, published by Hans Theunissen. Given the lack of attention to this 1478 treaty, it seems appropriate to make available a more accurate reading of the Greek text, along with a translation and brief commentary.
Click here to read/download this article (PDF file)
We thank Diana Gilliland Wright for providing us with this article.
When the Serenissima and the Gran Turco Made Love: The Peace Treaty of 1478
By Diana Gilliland Wright and Pierre A. MacKay
Studi Veneziani, Vol.53 (2007)
Introduction: Although a transcription of the 1478 Venetian-Ottoman peace treaty or ‘ahd-name was published by Franz Miklosich and Ioseph Müller in 1865, there has been no scholarly edition or English translation of this intriguing text. Miklosich and Müller apparently did not appreciate the forms and spelling of the ‘ahd-name – often difficult to understand – and published a ‘correct’ version with classicized verbs. While this does not interfere with the content and meaning of the ‘ahd-name, it does affect a perception of the document within its culture and as an example of the development of the Greek vernacular, and there is no accompanying commentary or contextual explanation.
In contrast, numerous other Venetian-Ottoman documents and treaties have been published with transcriptions and commentaries. Two groups in particular should be noticed: the treaties directly preceding the 1478 treaty – that of 1446 published by Franz Babinger and Franz Dölger, and that of 1454 published by Samuele Romanin; and the subsequent treaties of 1482 through 1641, published by Hans Theunissen. Given the lack of attention to this 1478 treaty, it seems appropriate to make available a more accurate reading of the Greek text, along with a translation and brief commentary.
Click here to read/download this article (PDF file)
We thank Diana Gilliland Wright for providing us with this article.
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