The Great Siege and the limits of chivalry

The fall of Fort St Elmo was followed by reciprocal atrocities. Ottoman forces mock-crucified surviving defenders and floated them toward another fortress. The Knights Hospitaller responded by firing the severed heads of prisoners from cannon. The episode challenges romantic ideas of an inherently chivalrous age. Rules of war restrain conduct only while powers are willing and able to enforce them, especially when survival appears at stake. Siege warfare could escalate far beyond its proclaimed norms.