Slaves on Maltese galleys

Abstract

Slaves in Malta provided the motor force for the galleys of the Order. The rowing ciurma was made up of buonavoglie, convicts, Muslem slaves, and, occasionally, free Maltese paid rowers. When a Muslim prize was taken at sea all slaves taken were duly registered and the able-bodied ones were assigned to the oars. Slaves were taken normally from the eastern Mediterranean region but many buonavoglias and convicts were obtained from Christian European countries especially when the Order was faced with periodic shortage of slaves. When not employed on the galleys, slaves provided cheap labour, working especially on maintenance work connected with fortifications and public buildings. Others worked at the galley arsenal as assistants to craftsmen or handling heavy equipment or loads. Discipline was duly maintained by the argusins who were loathed by all the galley rowers. When well trained at the oars, Muslim slaves provided excellent service and the knights were well aware that their efforts contributed to a great extent to obtain better speeds when compared with other Mediterranean galleys.