Battle·Later empires
Battle of Lepanto
- Date
- 7 October 1571 CE979 AH455 years ago
- Place
- Gulf of Patras, Greece
- People
- Don John of Austria, Ali Pasha
A fleet of the Holy League, made up of Spain, Venice, the Papal States and their allies, met an Ottoman fleet in the Gulf of Patras on 7 October 1571 CE. The battle was one of the largest naval engagements in history, with hundreds of galleys. The Holy League won a decisive victory, and the Ottoman commander Ali Pasha was killed. Many Christian rowers held on Ottoman ships were freed.
Why it matters
The Ottoman navy lost many ships but rebuilt quickly, so the battle did not change the wider balance of power in the Mediterranean.