I have finished writing this chapter. It starts with a small introduction about Byzantine chronicles. I added this section because my narrative primarily draws from these chronicles, and I want to caution the reader about their credibility. Often penned by monastic historians poorly versed in naval and military matters, they contain hagiographic material or facts biased by the witnesses' viewpoints and political agenda. I also attached the Reassessment, the summing up of my story. As usual, I will keep it on hold.
My next chapter will deal with the Battle of Meloria, August 1284, which pitted the Pisan and Genoese fleets off Porto Pisano. Like the Battle of Chandax, it was a decisive confrontation that put an end to the naval domination of the City on the Arno. It also supplies an excellent example of the encirclement of hostile forces, worth discussing in military academies.
I also received an OK from the Institute of Integration coordinator for a series of lectures based on Chapter 1, Prelude: A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands. My first lecture, appointed on November 13th, will speak about medieval galleys. To talk about shipping in the medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean, we must distinguish two vessel types: galleys and so-called round ships. They differed in construction, choice of routes, length of sailing, and designation. My lectures and articles will open this topic for discussions.
The first two articles are available on my Academia page:
https://www.academia.edu/104456432/War_galleys_in_the_Medieval_Mediterranean
https://www.academia.edu/104456432/War_galleys_in_the_Medieval_Mediterranean
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