Social Welfare

At the same time, the prostitutes had increased in number, often causing scandals. The General Council of the Knights decided – since it was very difficult to expel them – to confine them to a particular quarter of the city. The care of the sick, as well as of the paupers, widows, orphans and generally persons in need, was the responsibility of the “Hospitallarius”, in the form of charitable organizations, aiming at the restriction of the creation of antisocial and marginal elements as a result of poverty, which could in turn lead to popular unrest.

Another public service, called the “sanita”, commissioned to take measures to protect public health, and to prevent epidemics, such as cholera and plague, which were common in the Middle Ages throughout Europe. The plague of Rhodos, in 1498-1500, killed thousands of people of every nationality, class or age.

Culture

During the Knights’ time, many scholars and artists came to Rhodos, gathered mainly in the Grandmaster’s Court.

It is in this period, when Emm. Limenites writes the well-known poem “The Plague of Rhodos” («Το Θανατικό της Ρόδου»), which, although lacks any special literature value, is, however, written in the local dialect of this era and gives us a clear image of the atmosphere, mores and customs, as well as details about social life in medieval Rhodos. Yet, the most important text of medieval Rhodian literature, in terms of language quality, is a series of short poems, entitled “Katalogia” (Καταλόγια), explained by the unknown author as “verses about love and passion”.