Siege of Rhodes (1480)

This article is about the siege by the Ottomans in 1480. For other uses, see Siege of Rhodes.
Siege of Rhodes
Part of the Ottoman wars in Europe

The 1480 siege of Rhodes. Neapolitan ships in the forefront, and Turkish camp in the background.
Date23 May – 17 August 1480
(2 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Location
Rhodes
Result Knights Hospitaller victory
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire Sovereign Military Order of Malta Knights Hospitaller
Commanders and leaders
Ottoman Empire Mesih Pasha Sovereign Military Order of Malta Pierre d'Aubusson
Sovereign Military Order of Malta Antoine d'Aubusson
Strength

70,000 men[1]
100[2] or 160 ships[1] Probably between 10,000 and 15,000 men[3]

Not more than 20,000[4]

3,000 janissaries[2]

500+ knights
2,000+ soldiers

Probably numbered about 3,500 men[3] or 300+ knights 300 sergeants, 3,000–4,000 soldiers.[2]
Casualties and losses
9,000 killed
15,000 wounded[5]		 Few

In 1480 the small Knights Hospitaller garrison of Rhodes withstood an attack of the Ottoman Empire.

  1. ^ a b Pierre d'Aubusson, in a letter cited in "The Papacy and the Levant", Kenneth M. Setton, page 351, 1984
  2. ^ a b c A History of the Crusades, Kenneth Meyer Setton (general editor), page 324, 1969
  3. ^ a b The later Crusades, 1274-1580: from Lyons to Alcazar, Norman Housley, page 228, 1992
  4. ^ The Fortress of Rhodes 1309-1522, Konstantin Nossov,Brian Delf, page 46, 2010
  5. ^ according to refugees from the Turkish camp cited by Caoursin ("The Papacy and the Levant", Kenneth M. Setton, page 359, 1984)