Emmanuel Piloti was born in 1371 to a Venetian family living in Crete, which was a Venetian colony at that time. At age 25, he began traveling around the eastern Mediterranean region as a merchant. He spent significant periods of time trading in Alexandria, the chief Mediterranean port of the Mamluk sultanate of Egypt and Syria. His relationship with the Mamluk state was complex. On one hand, he served as a diplomat on behalf of Sultan Faraj in 1408 to negotiate the release of 150 Muslims captured by pirates and sold to the Venetian duke of Naxos. On the other hand, he composed this treatise encouraging a renewal of the crusade movement and offering advice for how best to attack the Mamluks. The first version, which Piloti composed in Latin in 1420, was addressed to Pope Eugene IV. In 1441, Piloti produced a French version addressed to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy, who was known to be interested in crusading.

Translated from the French by Valentin Skald. Pierre-Herman Dopp, ed. Traite d’Emmanuel Piloti sur le Passage en Terre Sante (1420) (Louvain: Editions E. Nauwelaerts, 1958), 229-236. This translation CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Misdeeds of Catalan Corsairs. Various interventions of the Sultans Faraj and Al-Mu’ayyad.

Around the year 1408, a Catalan ship at the port of Alexandria loaded merchandise of considerable value, as well as a group of Saracen merchants from Barbary. These Saracens were the owners of the aforementioned merchandise; by which agreement and accord the aforementioned ship would be required to travel to the port of Tunis in Barbary, and there it would be required to unload the aforementioned merchandise and also the aforementioned merchants; and they would be required to pay their freight charge. By which manner that, when the aforementioned ship had left Alexandria, the Catalans made directly for Catalonia and there unloaded the aforementioned merchandise. And that merchandise, the captain of the ship sold it, and he received the money and placed it in his coin purse. Then, he sold all the Saracen merchants as slaves (esclaves), and he made a great sum of ducats. For this reason, the kinsfolk of the aforementioned Saracen merchants, and also those to whom the aforementioned merchandise belonged, went to Cairo in the presence of the Sultan Melequenasar[1], who was the son of Sultan Barquoco. Thus, they called for the Catalan consul who was in Alexandria: that he and the Catalan nation must pay the value of the aforementioned merchandise as well as of the Saracen merchants who had been sold, and with many other words they spoke their case. And the Catalan consul responded that the Sultan had neither a reason to make an accusation nor a reason to make a case for the merchants who were from Barbary and subjects of the king of Tunis in Barbary, and with many other words. Thus, the Sultan responded and said to the Saracens, “You are neither my subjects nor do I wish to argue for you (lit. to take noise) with the Catalans because doing so would be against God. Therefore, you go to your king, who is your lord, and he will provide for your needs and your business.” And in this manner, the matter was closed.

Sometime later, in about the year 1411, the Sultan died in Damascus, and in his place came to be a Sultan who was the amiral, who was called Zie.[2] In this manner, when he was made Sultan, the Saracen kinsfolk of the merchants of the Catalan ship, and those to whom the merchandise belonged, who were from the Barbary Coast, appeared before the Sultan to inquire about the Catalan ship.

And immediately the aforementioned Sultan summoned the Catalan consul along with one of his merchants, and they were made to come to Cairo. In hearing the case, the aforementioned Sultan commanded that his Caliph must judge this occasion. Whereof the aforementioned Saracens went before the aforementioned Caliph and Pope and made a request for their case. And the Catalan consul made the same defense which he had made to the first Sultan. And the Caliph determined that the Catalan nation should pay 30,000 ducats for the damage which the aforementioned vessel had done to the Saracens, the merchants who found themselves in Alexandria paying half and the other half from the Catalan merchants who found themselves in Damascus. By which manner, that suddenly the consul went to Damascus and thus notified the aforementioned Catalan merchants of these terms, and that they were to pay half of the payments with their own merchandise. By which manner, since the 30,000 ducats were required; and that it was better that they raised it themselves within less than a day from the message coming from the Sultan to Damascus; and the Catalans themselves were willing to pay, the aforementioned Catalan merchants placed 5,000 ducats in a small pouch and thus gave it to the messenger of the Sultan, saying, “We are guilty of nothing, but we present to the Sultan a gift of these 5,000 ducats; and attached to this is the letter which our Consul sent us, ordering that we must flee.” Thus, the aforementioned messenger received the aforementioned ducats and the letter and returned to Cairo and presented to the Sultan the aforementioned ducats and the letter. Immediately the Sultan summoned the aforementioned consul and said to him: “Consul, for what reason did you take my provision[3] and settle in my country?” And the consul responded: “Lord, to sustain and bring solace to the merchants of my nation, and also to provide them the opportunity to travel here to this side in order to do good unto your country.” And the Sultan, hearing these words, took hold of his letter and said to him: “Read this letter loudly, so that each one may hear it.” Thus, it was read, and once he had read it the Sultan said to him: “And how have you done the complete opposite of what you have told me that you have written to the merchants in Damascus? Since you have written that they must flee and go with their merchandise.” And immediately the Sultan commanded that the aforementioned consul and the aforementioned merchant must strip and lie down on the ground and be beaten. In this manner they were beaten and, cruelly, the merchant was renamed and became a Saracen. And the consul was in the hands of the doctors for a span of 6 months, more or less, until the point at which he had finally healed. And during this time, all the Catalan merchants gathered themselves and left the Sultan’s country. And then that consul asked for the mercy of the Sultan that he might go to Alexandria and remain there; whereby the Sultan consented that he would go there and was detained at the port, so that it was not possible to leave the land. And so it was, and he remained with great poverty and toil, alone there in their funduq.[4]

In this manner, after about 3 years, there came to the port of Alexandria 3 Catalan ships loaded with merchandise, with 3 ambassadors who gave voice to their desire to go to Cairo and make accord and peace with the Sultan. And the Saracens believed that it would be thus, and with this belief and faith they began to sell their merchandise there, and to buy spices, and always with security. And first they loaded the spices, and then they unloaded their merchandise, and also, they did it by means of some Venetians who made their surety. And then, one day arrived the feast to which the Saracens came; and the consul who was detained stood by the wall of the land which backed onto the sea, entered the port, and thus let himself down with a rope; and there, across, were 2 barques armed readily. They approached the wall, and thus, retrieved the aforementioned consul, and thus carried him in the ship, there where the ambassadors were. By which manner that there was a bit of noise and dubious speech, but everything ceased, and they remained in peace, buying and selling the same as before.

Then, after 15 days, a day after feasting, the Catalans went to the port of customs[5] with 2 barques with some sacks of hazelnuts, explained that they wanted to unload them, and 2 other barques in the place where the spices are loaded; and 2 other barques at the riverbank where the merchants and sailors disembarked on the land in order to go to the city. Of these barques, none aroused suspicion. Of which the aforementioned barques were very well in all ways and in terms of weapons. Between the barques and the land were around 200 people. Of which, around three hours after daybreak, those of the ship lifted the ordered signs and banners. Suddenly all of which, with their spices and fully armed, jumped off the ships and attacked the customs house and went throughout the whole place, which was full of people, of men and women, and in other rooms full of many people and families. And from all of whom they cut their feet and hands and faces, and left them thus devastated, except the young women and young men, whom they brought alive with them in their ship. And the people of the 2 barques at customs attacked from within; and perceiving the lords and the officials of customs, who always weighed and hauled the merchandise outside, they suddenly mounted horses and attacked as quickly as they could out from the land, and also all the people of the land: by which manner that one fell upon another, and all escaped through the gate which goes out from the land, and none turned to look behind them. And all over they abandoned the land, and none remained within. And thus the Catalans had done, and it followed that they had victory and had the land, and they sacked very little, only that they had closed the gates to the land: because the people had gone out, not in all of that day being sure of entering the land, until a later hour. However, the Catalans boarded the ship. And suddenly, on this same day, the Catalans took a ship of Turks, which had been at the port of Alexandria, loaded completely with merchandise of great value, both of the Turks and of the Saracens. And the aforementioned ship departed and did not wait for the time to go to Turkey. And in this way their adventure was finished.

The aforementioned ships detained at port.

After this deed, in the span of 4 days they went to Rhodes, and certain merchandise which they were moving forward to sell, they unloaded in Rhodes. And the Sultan, who knew this, made a commandment that if anyone should carry the merchandise of the Catalans or of Barcelona into his country, it must be taken from and lost to them, as property of the Sultan. In this manner, this commandment did great damage to the Catalans because they could not part with the merchandise, which was native to Barcelona and Catalonia, in any place other than Alexandria. Therefore, the prohibited Catalans, not being able to find value in another route, set out with ships­, with galleys and with small galiotes with the intention to fight against the Saracens and Turks. Those of whom, from time to time, had done great damage to their people and to their merchandise. And so, they worked and aimed that the Sultan become contented that the large galleys of the Catalans might come to the port of Alexandria and might unload and sell and buy safely and securely, both in their persons and in their goods. And so, they went from time to time with ships and with galleys, and they arrived satisfactorily and were treated satisfactorily, better than other nations of Christians. And despite that, the Catalan galleys, like corsairs, went on campaign against the Saracens and took their ships and their merchandise and their people, both by sea and by land. Neither the merchants nor their merchandise which came to the port of Alexandria were ever made to answer to anyone for anything, instead continuing to sell and buy safely and securely. For this reason, the Sultan did not feel powerful against the Catalans, for the great work which the Catalans had done without it in this. And he was content in this manner and said that the merchants ought to be dispatched and be treated as merchants, and corsairs as corsairs, who are the wonderful grace and sovereign over all the other Christian nations. The Sultan said that a single nation, as that of the Catalans, that half of that nation went to the country of the Sultan in order to do their business (lit. make their merchandise), and the other half went as corsairs; that there by antiquity the peace treaties of all the Christian nations who were within the country of the Sultan demanded that each nation ought to have a consul, and additionally, if any Christian did any damage to any Saracen, the Sultan was entitled to require that the Christian merchants who found themselves in his land and country must pay all the damages made to the Saracens. And thus, it was always observed against all the Christian nations, until the present day. But certainly, for the sake of the great disadvantages and divisions which arise between the Catalans and the Sultan from time to time, as I noted in this book, the holy war (bonne guerre) that the Catalans waged against the reputation of the Sultan drove his reputation into decline. He is contented with that which is to his very great dishonor and burden: that, not having a Catalan consul in his country, the half of those enjoyed life in his country as merchants, and the other half enjoyed life as corsairs. Which is the great honor and fame of the Catalan nation, that, having waged a holy war against the Sultan, they discovered their state and their might, which is a wonderful example to all the Christian nations who leave to beat and harm the Sultan. And those who go on pilgrimage in Jerusalem must do as those who go to do business with their merchandise! Those of whom go to do things of great weight and great dishonor against the state and fame of the Christian faith.

And it is this wonderful administration of the Holy Pope of Rome, of the emperor, of the royal princes, to whom God gave the governance and protection of the Christian people and their most holy faith. Those lords possess, and thus provide, the desire to conquer the promised land, where were the first Christians, and under Christian power and faith, and at present under beastly people and with the beastly and pagan faith: which is for all great lords a great burden and great breach of the state and power of Christianity.

[1] Al-Malik al-Nasir Faraj, Mamluk sultan, r.1399-1412. Son of the Mamluk sultan Barquq, r.1382-1389 and 1390-1399.

[2] Al-Malik al-Mu’ayyad Shaykh, Mamluk sultan and former amir (commander), r.1412-1421.

[3] The annual stipend from the sultan to the consul.

[4] An type of inn and warehouse designed for merchants.

[5] The customs house.

Discussion Questions

  1. Compare and contrast the actions and responses of the two sultans, Faraj and Shaykh. How were their actions similar? How did they differ? Why? Note that the case of the Catalan corsairs was closed during Sultan Faraj’s reign but reopened during Sultan Shaykh’s reign.
  2. How did the Catalans justify their naval campaign against Alexandria and the sultan? Why? How did slavery relate to that justification?
  3. Note that at the end of the text, Piloti presents his own perspective and opinion on these events. How did his perspective affect the way that he presented information in the text?

Related Primary Sources

Themes

Captives, Kidnapping, Law, Trade