the black death in early ottoman territories - Bilkent University

45. vol. 19, col. 377
Tamen, the captain of the aforementioned barge had said that - by way of painstaking
interrogation the Grand Master of Rhodos had obtained (information) from him, and had
made clear that the Turkish Lord was deprived of about 60 thousand persons between
casualties from battle, famine and plague, and that famine and plague and nothing else had
made the Turk retreat towards his own country in the vicinity of Ankara...
MDXV, MAGGIO (May 1515)
46. vol. 20, col. 225
From Constantinople, from sir Nicolò Justinian, baylo, there were read letters, from the
5th and the 10th of April, encoded.
Idem, the Turkish Lord is in Amasya and the janissaries are very insolent, to such an
extent that the Lord does not dare to say anything; ...and it seems that they want to
abdicate him and raise another as Lord; who is suspicious of his only son, who is in
Constantinople, ... he sent a poisoned jacket to give to his son. And this son obtained it,
and being suspicious had it worn by one of his, who died instantly.
MDXVI, SETTEMBRE (September 1516)
47. vol. 22, col. 541
From the aforementioned (regiment), of day 19, was sent a letter obtained from the
contestabele di la Parga.
... and thus news was obtained by the ship Mosta, which came from Constantinople; there
is enormous plague, and also in Saloniki.
48. vol. 22, col. 546/547
From Constantinople have come letters, from Pregadi, from sir Lunardo Bembo, baylo,
from the 23rd of July.
He writes that it is necessary to send the presents entirely to the captain of Galipoli. That
there, plague is enormous etc.
MDXVI, OTTOBRE (October, 1516)
49. vol. 23, col. 40/41
From Costantinople, from sir Leonardo Bembo, our Baylo, there were letters dated in
Pera, on the 21st of August, not encoded, they came by ship over seas.
Idem, plague is enormous in Costantinople.
50. vol. 23, col. 115
From Ragusa there were letters of the 14th, that were sent by our Baylo of Costantinople,
sir Leonardo Bembo, from the 17th of September, dated in Costantinople.
He writes that plague came into the house in which he lived in Pera, and he has left it etc.
MDXVII, LUGLIO (July 1517)
51. vol. 23. col. 506
From sir Lunardo Bembo, Baylo of Constantinople,...From the aforementioned, dated in
Pera on the 20th of June.
And they say that the Lord is sending 500 households of families from Cairo here in
Constantinople.
MDXVII, AGOSTO (August 1517)
52. vol. 23, col. 599/560
Copy of an encoded letter ... from sir Dimitri Columbardo, former patron de nave, dated
in Baffo on the 23rd of June 1517, at 20 o'clock.
Idem, at the time I was present in Alexandria, I saw with my own eyes being shipped, and
by this is said, patrons of households with all their members, they say there are 1500 and
the richest that are to be found in Cairo, and it is said (the Lord) wants to send them to
Constantinople with all their richesses.
MDXVIII, MARZO (March 1518)
53. vol. 25, col. 273
Summary of the letters of sir Alvise Mocenigo, the cavalier, who was orator of the Turkish
Lord. Dated on the 10th of November, in Constantinopoli. ... From the aforementioned, on
the 19th of that month.
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