FALIERO, Marino (1274-1355), doge of Venice, was born in 1274. In 1346 he commanded the Venetian forces at the siege of Zara, where, being attacked by Louis the Great of Hungary with a force of 80,000 men, he totally defeated them, inflicting a loss of 8000, and compelling him to abandon all further attempts to raise the siege, which was concluded shortly afterwards by the surrender of the defenders at discretion. As commander of the Venetian fleet he also gained several victories and captured Capo d’Istria. He was elected doge 11th September 1354. His reign was short, and it had both a disastrous commencement and a tragic close. Very soon after his election the Venetian fleet was captured by the Genoese, and hardly had he concluded a four months’ truce with Genoa, when a very trivial incident occurred which resulted in his arrest and execution. It would appear that, though an able general and prudent statesman, Faliero possessed a temper so choleric that when he was provoked reason for a time almost forsook him. On the occasion of the usual court feast on Shrove Thursday, a young nobleman named Michele Steno, perhaps excited by wine, took some liberties with one of the maids of honour, and the doge on that account caused him to be ignominiously expelled from the hall. Provoked at such a public affront Steno went to the hall of audience and wrote on the doge’s chair the following words— Manni Falieτi dαlla bellα mοglie, al tri la godeedegli larnantiene (Marino Faliero, the husband of the beautiful wife; others kisβ her, he keeps her). The author of the insult was soon discovered and arrested, but the council sentencing him only to two months’ imprisonment, the doge resolved to have adequate revenge, and with this view formed a conspiracy to seize all the ...