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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
WARS OF VENICE AND GENOA
43
their success, and both in seamanship and in splendour they
began almost to surpass their old rivals. The fall of Acre (1291),
and the total expulsion of the Franks from Syria, in great
measure barred the southern routes of Indian trade, whilst the
predominance of Genoa in the Euxine more or less obstructed
the free access. of her rival to the northern routes by Trebizond
and Tana.
32. Truces were made and renewed, but the old fire still
smouldered. In the spring of 1294 it broke into flame, in
consequence of the seizure in the Grecian seas of three
Battle in
Genoese vessels by a Venetian fleet. This led to an Bay of Ayas
action with a Genoese convoy which sought redress. In 1294•
The fight took place off Ayas in the Gulf of Scanderoon,* and
though the Genoese were inferior in strength by one-third they
gained a signal victory, capturing all but three of the Venetian
galleys, with rich cargoes, including that of Marco Basilio (or
Basegio), the commodore.
This victory over their haughty foe was in its completeness
evidently a surprise to the Genoese, as well as a source of
immense exultation, which is vigorously expressed in a ballad of
the day, written in a stirring salt-water rhythm.t It represents
the Venetians, as they enter the bay, in arrogant mirth reviling
the Genoese with very unsavoury epithets as having deserted
their ships to skulk on shore. They are described as saying :
" ` Off they've slunk ! and left us nothing ;
We shall get nor prize nor praise ;
Nothing save those crazy timbers
Only fit to make a blaze."
So they advance carelessly
" On they come ! But lo their blunder ! When our lads start up anon,
Breaking out like unchained lions, With a roar, ` Fall on ! Fall on ! ' "
* See pp. 16, 41, and Plan of Ayas at beginning of Bk. I. t See Archivio Storico Italiano, Appendice, torn. iv.
Como lifoin aaroxi;nai
Queli si levan lantor
Como leon descaenai
Tuti criando " Alor ! Alor !"
+ Niente ne resta a prender Se no li cori de li legni : Preixi sola senza difender; De bruxar son fute degni!
This Alor! Alor! (" Up, Boys, and at 'em"), or something similar, appears to have been the usual war-cry of both parties. So a trumpet-like poem of the
VOL,. I. k 2
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