The Catalan Expedition to the East: From the "Chronicle" of Ramon Muntaner

by Ramón Muntaner, Robert D. Hughes (Translator)

Before its definitive fall into Turkish hands, the Byzantine Empire was the target of adventurers of many nations. Outstanding among these groups was the Almogaver army led by Roger of Flor, composed of mercenaries hardened in the war between the Catalan and Angevin dynasties for domination of Sicily. The Catalan presence in Constantinople aroused suspicion among the Greek nobility who assassinated Roger of Flor and tried to exterminate his men. The devastating reaction of those who escaped the slaughter led to Catalan control of broad swathes of the Empire, including Athens. Ramon Muntaner, one of the ringleaders of the expedition, recounted the adventures of the Almogaver army in the eastern Mediterranean in the fascinating section of his Chronicle translated here. The preface is by N. D. Hillgarth. Dr. Robert D. Hughes is a translator and researcher with particular expertise in the fields of fine art, the history of ideas and Catalan culture. Published in association with Editorial Barcino

Genres: History, Medieval History

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1558

About the author

Ramon Muntaner (Peralada, Alt Empordà, 1265 – Vila d'Eivissa, 1336) fou un militar, administrador, polític i cronista català, ciutadà de València i ciutadà de Mallorca. Eminentment conegut per ser el redactor d'una de les quatre grans cròniques, visqué de primera mà diverses gestes militars dels reis d'Aragó. També fou camarlenc de Jaume III de Mallorca, batlle d'Eivissa i capità d'almogàvers.

Reviews

[Francesc Coll · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Aquest va assumir la capitania amb suavitat, perquè no podia fer altra cosa. Què us diré? No va ser sinó comandant del vent"

[Astor Teller · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I tell you?
That’s Ramon Muntaner’s catchphrase throughout this book.

He tells a lot in fact as he was an eyewitness and also a participant to the events surrounding the Catalan Company, a mercenary force of light infantry called almogavars who, often outnumbered, beat enemy forces consisting of everything from Venetian, Genoese, Muslim, Alan, Byzantine and European knights and ended up carving their own fiefdown.

In the book you follow their leader Roger de Flor (for a while) as they pick up spoils (of which there are a lot, these guys are well paid) and women (becoming wives) after successful warfare, spending time on Gallipoli for years and when severely outnumbered, dress their women up in cuirasses to fight with them.

It’s a tall tale, and very self-aggrandising, but from what I can infer, also mostly true as the author experienced most of the things he writes about.

[Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una joyita la edición de Blasco Ibáñez que encontré en una feria del libro antiguo. Ejemplar intonso que fue necesario abrir con una abrecartas en ciertos pasajes para poder leer esas páginas por primera vez en más de cien años. Relato que versa de la mano de Ramón de Muntaner, cronista y protagonista de las aventuras y desventuras de los expedicionarios catalanes y aragones por el Mediterráneo Oriental en el siglo XIV. Y los epilogos y anuncios editoriales presentando a Jack London como autor a la audiencia hispanoparlante, y el libro de canciones infantiles de García Lorca la guinda de este inesperada delicia turca. Se ha disfrutado.

[Semih · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed, informative narrative of first hand account.

[Deyanira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger de Flor jo també aniria a Constantinoble per tu 🙂‍↕️

[Teresa Prats · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Lectura només d'alguns fragments a les classes de Literatura Catalana Medieval del grau d'Humanitats.]

[Pol Vila · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10