Page:English Historical Review Volume 35.djvu/351

 1920 343 The Venetian Revival in Greece^ 1684-1718 IN 1684, after the lapse of 144 years, Venice once more began to be a power upon the Greek continent. She had long had grievances against the Porte, such as the failure to deliver prisoners and the violation of her commercial privileges, while the Porte complained of the raids of the Dalmatian Morlachs. Excuses for war were not, therefore, lacking, and the moment was favourable. Sobieski, the year before, had defeated the Turks before Vienna, and the republic knew that she would not lack allies. A ' Holy League ' was formed between the emperor, Poland, and Venice under the protection of Pope Innocent XI, and the tsar was specially invited to join. Accordingly, the republic declared war upon the sultan, and appointed Francesco Morosini captain-general of her forces. Morosini, although sixty-six years of age, possessed an experience of Turkish warfare upon Greek soil which com- pensated for his lack of youth. He had served for twenty-three years in the armies and fleets of his country, and had commanded at Candia till he felt himself compelled to come to terms with the Turks, for which skilful piece of diplomacy he was put upon his trial at home and, although acquitted, was left for fifteen years in retirement. Now that his countrymen needed a com- mander, they bethought them of the man who had been so severely criticized for the loss of Crete. The republic at this time still retained a considerable insular dominion in Greek waters — six out of the seven Ionian Islands, Tenos, and the three Cretan fortresses of Grabusa, Suda, and Spinalonga — but on the Greek mainland only Butrinto and Parga, the two continental dependencies of Corfu. She possessed, therefore, at Corfu, a base of operations, and thither Morosini repaired. The huge mortars on either side of the gate of the 'old fortress' still bear the date of his visit, 1684. His first objective was the seventh Ionian island of Santa Maura, particularly obnoxious to the Venetians as a nest of corsairs. Warmly supported by Ionian auxiliaries, among whom are mentioned the countrymen of Odysseus, he speedily obtained the surrender of Santa Maura, which carried with it the acquisition of Meganisi, the home of the Homeric Taphians, which was given as a fief to the Cephalonian family of Metaxas. Morosini also won Kalamos