Blue history
@bluehistory.bsky.social
Digging through Mediterranean history. We love it all: the plow, the fishing net, the bandit's knife and the wedding contract. A little music as well.
Inspired by @monicamedhist.bsky.social and @elisegravel.bsky.social, the little one is going trick-or-treating dressed as the Yersinia pestis bacilius equiped with a DNA string, plasmids, ribsomes, teeth and eyes.
October 31, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Inspired by @monicamedhist.bsky.social and @elisegravel.bsky.social, the little one is going trick-or-treating dressed as the Yersinia pestis bacilius equiped with a DNA string, plasmids, ribsomes, teeth and eyes.
"I was married but I'm not anymore. Women don't like the vehicle."
October 17, 2025 at 7:26 PM
"I was married but I'm not anymore. Women don't like the vehicle."
the Ottoman never issue any debt to pay for their fleet. It's all the more remarkable that all the Christian powers from Spain to France and from the Papal States to Venice all bought their fleet using credit.
Unlike what Hanson tried to argue in his dismal Carnage and Culture the western way of
Unlike what Hanson tried to argue in his dismal Carnage and Culture the western way of
October 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
the Ottoman never issue any debt to pay for their fleet. It's all the more remarkable that all the Christian powers from Spain to France and from the Papal States to Venice all bought their fleet using credit.
Unlike what Hanson tried to argue in his dismal Carnage and Culture the western way of
Unlike what Hanson tried to argue in his dismal Carnage and Culture the western way of
Williams shows how cruccial a well-trained and seasoned group of rowers could be.
New ciurme would get easily tired and be particularly vulnerable to diseases whereas old ones ("le ciurme vecchie") where an admiral's most crucial assets.
New ciurme would get easily tired and be particularly vulnerable to diseases whereas old ones ("le ciurme vecchie") where an admiral's most crucial assets.
October 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Williams shows how cruccial a well-trained and seasoned group of rowers could be.
New ciurme would get easily tired and be particularly vulnerable to diseases whereas old ones ("le ciurme vecchie") where an admiral's most crucial assets.
New ciurme would get easily tired and be particularly vulnerable to diseases whereas old ones ("le ciurme vecchie") where an admiral's most crucial assets.
Williams' Empire and Holy War which brilliantly presents the Spanish strategy after 1560: shadow the Ottoman fleet so as to cancel the threat with as little risk and cost as possible. Obviously it only worked so far...
But the best part is his study of the human engine of the galleys: the ciurma.
But the best part is his study of the human engine of the galleys: the ciurma.
October 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Williams' Empire and Holy War which brilliantly presents the Spanish strategy after 1560: shadow the Ottoman fleet so as to cancel the threat with as little risk and cost as possible. Obviously it only worked so far...
But the best part is his study of the human engine of the galleys: the ciurma.
But the best part is his study of the human engine of the galleys: the ciurma.
For my money two books have recently profoundly changed my understanding of the battle.
Malcolm's Agents of Empire which brought 2 key insights:
- the state of flux the whole of the Balkans were in at the time
- the savagery of the fight (Spanish troops killed even slave rower on captured ships)
Malcolm's Agents of Empire which brought 2 key insights:
- the state of flux the whole of the Balkans were in at the time
- the savagery of the fight (Spanish troops killed even slave rower on captured ships)
October 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
For my money two books have recently profoundly changed my understanding of the battle.
Malcolm's Agents of Empire which brought 2 key insights:
- the state of flux the whole of the Balkans were in at the time
- the savagery of the fight (Spanish troops killed even slave rower on captured ships)
Malcolm's Agents of Empire which brought 2 key insights:
- the state of flux the whole of the Balkans were in at the time
- the savagery of the fight (Spanish troops killed even slave rower on captured ships)
The Captive of Malta
October 4, 2025 at 9:45 PM
The Captive of Malta
Joseph A. Boone has a whole book on that.
The Ottoman East was the object of a wide amount of fetishizing tropes.
Anemabar actually uses several in his film from the "hammam boys" to the "cruel and effete pacha"
But we're far from my zone of comfort so I will not venture further
The Ottoman East was the object of a wide amount of fetishizing tropes.
Anemabar actually uses several in his film from the "hammam boys" to the "cruel and effete pacha"
But we're far from my zone of comfort so I will not venture further
October 2, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Joseph A. Boone has a whole book on that.
The Ottoman East was the object of a wide amount of fetishizing tropes.
Anemabar actually uses several in his film from the "hammam boys" to the "cruel and effete pacha"
But we're far from my zone of comfort so I will not venture further
The Ottoman East was the object of a wide amount of fetishizing tropes.
Anemabar actually uses several in his film from the "hammam boys" to the "cruel and effete pacha"
But we're far from my zone of comfort so I will not venture further
To be clear, I'm not getting into the whole was Cervantes gay or did he or didn't he have a Muslim "nobio" because the film depicts what is in effect a rape of the Spanish letrado.
Yet it's difficult not to see in the background a lot of patterns reminding queer orientalism.
Yet it's difficult not to see in the background a lot of patterns reminding queer orientalism.
October 2, 2025 at 8:13 PM
To be clear, I'm not getting into the whole was Cervantes gay or did he or didn't he have a Muslim "nobio" because the film depicts what is in effect a rape of the Spanish letrado.
Yet it's difficult not to see in the background a lot of patterns reminding queer orientalism.
Yet it's difficult not to see in the background a lot of patterns reminding queer orientalism.
Before watching Amenabar's The Captive, I had read or re-read several books about the 16th-century history of North Africa and Spain. I even had a look at some articles about Cervantes as a writer but I was blindsided.
I wasn't ready for the extreme homoerotic orientalism uzing from the film
I wasn't ready for the extreme homoerotic orientalism uzing from the film
October 2, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Before watching Amenabar's The Captive, I had read or re-read several books about the 16th-century history of North Africa and Spain. I even had a look at some articles about Cervantes as a writer but I was blindsided.
I wasn't ready for the extreme homoerotic orientalism uzing from the film
I wasn't ready for the extreme homoerotic orientalism uzing from the film
I've watched it.
I did not dare to raise my hopes and the dreadful French title was a stark reminder of quite how corny it could get.
Well... I found Amenabar's El Cautivo/The Captive absolutely awesome. Historically, it's very good but about all it's a great movie about the power of storytelling
I did not dare to raise my hopes and the dreadful French title was a stark reminder of quite how corny it could get.
Well... I found Amenabar's El Cautivo/The Captive absolutely awesome. Historically, it's very good but about all it's a great movie about the power of storytelling
October 1, 2025 at 10:50 PM
I've watched it.
I did not dare to raise my hopes and the dreadful French title was a stark reminder of quite how corny it could get.
Well... I found Amenabar's El Cautivo/The Captive absolutely awesome. Historically, it's very good but about all it's a great movie about the power of storytelling
I did not dare to raise my hopes and the dreadful French title was a stark reminder of quite how corny it could get.
Well... I found Amenabar's El Cautivo/The Captive absolutely awesome. Historically, it's very good but about all it's a great movie about the power of storytelling
Deux aspects du débat sur la condamnation de Sarko rarement abordés:
- ça rappelle des sagas judiciaires dans d'autres pays (en particulier le cas Berlusconni)
- l'exquise ironie qui voit le chef de la droite autoritaire se faire condamner par la loi scélérate de l'association de malfaiteurs
- ça rappelle des sagas judiciaires dans d'autres pays (en particulier le cas Berlusconni)
- l'exquise ironie qui voit le chef de la droite autoritaire se faire condamner par la loi scélérate de l'association de malfaiteurs
September 30, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Deux aspects du débat sur la condamnation de Sarko rarement abordés:
- ça rappelle des sagas judiciaires dans d'autres pays (en particulier le cas Berlusconni)
- l'exquise ironie qui voit le chef de la droite autoritaire se faire condamner par la loi scélérate de l'association de malfaiteurs
- ça rappelle des sagas judiciaires dans d'autres pays (en particulier le cas Berlusconni)
- l'exquise ironie qui voit le chef de la droite autoritaire se faire condamner par la loi scélérate de l'association de malfaiteurs
Spanish spies dressed as French merchants (thus allied with the Sultan), and a host of other characters. There's definitely enough material to create a mix between Lazarillo de Tormes and John LeCarre with some Alexander Dumas sprinkled all over!
September 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Spanish spies dressed as French merchants (thus allied with the Sultan), and a host of other characters. There's definitely enough material to create a mix between Lazarillo de Tormes and John LeCarre with some Alexander Dumas sprinkled all over!
Conversely, at 22:00 he mentions women dressed as men. This would have been rarer though many captives describe the local women as particularly crafty.
But it also takes us to a fantastic aspect of the story: spies! There were always tons of those. Arab spies paid by the Spanish governor of Oran,
But it also takes us to a fantastic aspect of the story: spies! There were always tons of those. Arab spies paid by the Spanish governor of Oran,
September 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Conversely, at 22:00 he mentions women dressed as men. This would have been rarer though many captives describe the local women as particularly crafty.
But it also takes us to a fantastic aspect of the story: spies! There were always tons of those. Arab spies paid by the Spanish governor of Oran,
But it also takes us to a fantastic aspect of the story: spies! There were always tons of those. Arab spies paid by the Spanish governor of Oran,
Again, I haven't seen the film, there maybe tons of burly bearded men wearing pink turbans and silky dresses but a generous serving of (young) travestites would not be out of place.
September 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Again, I haven't seen the film, there maybe tons of burly bearded men wearing pink turbans and silky dresses but a generous serving of (young) travestites would not be out of place.
What's more is that the rais, Algiers' corsair captains, regularly kept a retenue of garzones or bardashes, protégés but also sexual partners whom they adorn in magnificent maners. You could easily have half a dozen of them on a single galley.
Pederast rape culture had been woven into the society
Pederast rape culture had been woven into the society
September 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
What's more is that the rais, Algiers' corsair captains, regularly kept a retenue of garzones or bardashes, protégés but also sexual partners whom they adorn in magnificent maners. You could easily have half a dozen of them on a single galley.
Pederast rape culture had been woven into the society
Pederast rape culture had been woven into the society
Men of the cloth who had been held captive in Algiers described it as Babylone, the place where the worst sins were on display. Sure there was an element of propaganda. But also some truth.
Prostitution of girls and boys was rampant (remember many children were taken captive all across the Med)
Prostitution of girls and boys was rampant (remember many children were taken captive all across the Med)
September 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Men of the cloth who had been held captive in Algiers described it as Babylone, the place where the worst sins were on display. Sure there was an element of propaganda. But also some truth.
Prostitution of girls and boys was rampant (remember many children were taken captive all across the Med)
Prostitution of girls and boys was rampant (remember many children were taken captive all across the Med)
Then Ruben notes that there are definitely too many "travestis" going about in the street as represented by the movie, arguing that a Muslim country would hardly tolerate such display.
Except that at the time Algiers was also a frontier town, fortunes were made and lost. Almost everything went.
Except that at the time Algiers was also a frontier town, fortunes were made and lost. Almost everything went.
September 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Then Ruben notes that there are definitely too many "travestis" going about in the street as represented by the movie, arguing that a Muslim country would hardly tolerate such display.
Except that at the time Algiers was also a frontier town, fortunes were made and lost. Almost everything went.
Except that at the time Algiers was also a frontier town, fortunes were made and lost. Almost everything went.
Whenever I read about Algiers, I can't help but to think about that awesome model from Marseille's MUCEM of the city in the 19C
September 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Whenever I read about Algiers, I can't help but to think about that awesome model from Marseille's MUCEM of the city in the 19C
So when Cervantes c.1583 freshly returned from North Africa, writes and presents his newly-written play about his time in the Donjons of Algiers, while his work maybe the first to directly tap into this subject, he's actually connecting with a deep and well-known tradition: the captivity literature
September 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
So when Cervantes c.1583 freshly returned from North Africa, writes and presents his newly-written play about his time in the Donjons of Algiers, while his work maybe the first to directly tap into this subject, he's actually connecting with a deep and well-known tradition: the captivity literature
The virtuous prisoner who keeps his faith despite trials and temptations is also a recurring trope in the exampla. Of course the best example here is the story of Raymond of Busquet protected by Saint Foy.
September 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
The virtuous prisoner who keeps his faith despite trials and temptations is also a recurring trope in the exampla. Of course the best example here is the story of Raymond of Busquet protected by Saint Foy.
Then there is the Medieval chivalry novel for which being held captive by a Saracen king was almost a necessity for any self-respecting hero. Huon of Bordeau if I recall correctly is one of them. There's even a whole novel called "The Captives" (Les Chétifs).
September 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Then there is the Medieval chivalry novel for which being held captive by a Saracen king was almost a necessity for any self-respecting hero. Huon of Bordeau if I recall correctly is one of them. There's even a whole novel called "The Captives" (Les Chétifs).