Battle of Lepanto

The Battle of Lepanto was a naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of w:Catholic states arranged by Pope Pius V, inflicted a major defeat on the fleet of the Ottoman Empire in the Gulf of Patras. The Ottoman forces were sailing westward from their naval station in Lepanto (the Venetian name of ancient Naupactus – Greek Ναύπακτος, Turkish İnebahtı) when they met the fleet of the Holy League which was sailing east from Messina, Sicily.

Quotes

• I sing a wondrous worke of God, [...]
  To wit, a cruell Martiall warre,
  A bloudy battell bold,
  Long doubtsome fight, with slaughter huge,
  And wounded manifold.
  Which fought was in LEPANTOES gulfe,
  Betwixt the baptiz'd race,
  And circumcisèd Turband Turkes
  Rencountring in that place.
  • James VI and I, His Maiesties Lepanto, or Heroicall Song, being part of his poeticall exercises at vacant houres (London: Simon Stafford, and Henry Hooke, 1603)

• Then Satan answered, Fayth? Quoth he,
  Their Fayth is too too small;
  They striue, me thinke, on eyther part,
  Who farthest backe can fall:
  Hast thou not giuen them in my hands,
  Euen both the sides, I say,
  That I, as best doth seeme to me,
  May vse them euery way?
  • His Maiesties Lepanto (1603)

• Vivat Hispania!
  Domino gloria!
  Don John of Austria
  Has set his people free!
  • G. K. Chesterton, "Lepanto" (1911)