View source for Battle of Modon (1500)

{{Short description|Naval battle}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2010}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Modon
| partof            = the [[Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503)|Ottoman–Venetian War of 1499–1503]]
| image             = Göke_(1495)_the_flagship_of_Kemal_Reis.jpg
| caption           = Flagship of Kemal Reis
| date              = July 20 – August 9, 1500
| place             = [[Methoni, Messenia|Modon]], [[Peloponnese]]
| result            = Ottoman victory
| combatant1        = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1453-1844).svg}} [[Ottoman Empire]]
| combatant2        = {{flag|Republic of Venice}}
| commander1        = [[Kemal Reis]]<br>[[Feriz Beg]]
| commander2        = Girolamo Contarini<br>Marco Gabriel
| strength1         = '''Modon:'''<br>30,000-60,000 soldiers<br>'''Fleet:'''<br>92 galleys<br>20 carracks<br>136 fustas and brigantines<ref>Sanudo, pp. 610-613</ref>
| strength2         = '''Modon:'''<br>7,000 soldiers<br>'''Fleet:'''<br>46 galleys<br>20 carracks<ref>Sanudo, 442-443, 620-621</ref>
| casualties1       = 5,000-6,000 dead<br>5 galleys sunk<br>Several ships damaged<ref name=S1>Sanudo, pp. 688-693, 712-716</ref>
| casualties2       = Most soldiers killed<br>2 galleys sunk<br>Many ships damaged<ref name=S1/>
}}
{{Campaignbox Ottoman–Venetian Wars}}
{{Campaignbox Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503)}}
[[File:Battle, 1500 AD RMG PV3201.jpg|thumb|305px|Battle, 1500 AD by 	
[[William Lionel Wyllie]]]]
The '''Battle of Modon''', aka the '''Second Battle of Lepanto''', took place in August 1500 during the [[Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503)|war of 1499–1503]] between the [[Ottoman Empire]] and the [[Republic of Venice]]. The Ottomans, who had won the [[Battle of Zonchio]] (First Battle of Lepanto / Battle of Sapienza) the previous year, were again victorious under Admiral [[Kemal Reis]].

==Background==
In December 1499, the Venetians attacked [[Naupactus|Lepanto]] with the hope of regaining the territories which they lost with the Battle of Zonchio. Kemal Reis set sail from [[Cefalonia]] and retook Lepanto from the Venetians. He stayed in Lepanto between April and May 1500, where his ships were repaired by an army of 15,000 Ottoman craftsmen who were brought from the area.

==Battle==
From there Kemal Reis set sail and bombarded the Venetian ports on the island of [[Corfu]], and in August 1500 he once again defeated the Venetian fleet. He bombarded the fortress of [[Methoni, Messenia|Modon]] from the sea and captured the town.

He later engaged with the Venetian fleet off the coast of [[Koroni|Coron]] and captured the town along with a Venetian brigantine. From there he sailed towards the Island of [[Sapientza]] (Sapienza) and sank the Venetian galley ''"Lezza"''. In September 1500, Kemal Reis assaulted Voiussa and in October he appeared at Cape Santa Maria on the Island of [[Lefkada]] before ending the campaign and returning to [[Constantinople]] in November.

==Background==
With the Battle of Modon, the Ottoman fleet and army quickly overwhelmed most of the Venetian possessions in [[Greece]]. [[Methoni, Messenia|Modon]] and [[Koroni|Coron]], the "two eyes of the Republic", were lost. Ottoman cavalry raids reached Venetian territory in northern [[Italy]], and, in 1503, Venice again had to seek peace, recognizing Ottoman gains.

==See also==

* [[Ottoman Navy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://deremilitari.org/2014/03/foundations-of-venetian-naval-strategy-from-pietro-ii-orseoto-to-the-battle-of-zoncho-1000-1500/ John E. Dotson: Foundations of Venetian Naval Strategy from Pietro II Orseoto to the Battle of Zoncho, 1000-1500 (2001)]
*Salvatore Bono: "Corsari nel Mediterraneo" (''Corsairs in the Mediterranean''), Oscar Storia Mondadori (Perugia, 1993)
* Marin Sanudo, Diarii, vol. 3, Rinaldo Fulin, 1880, pp.&nbsp;448–727.
{{Ottoman battles}}

{{coord|36.9000|N|21.6833|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Modon}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1500|Modon]]
[[Category:1500 in Europe]]
[[Category:Naval battles of the Ottoman–Venetian Wars|Modon]]
[[Category:Ottoman Peloponnese]]
[[Category:History of Messenia]]
[[Category:1500s in the Ottoman Empire]]
[[Category:Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503)]]


{{Italy-hist-stub}}
{{Ottoman-battle-stub}}