We have now been self-isolating for five weeks and this seems like a very long time.
Spare a thought for the citizens of the city of Candia, which is modern day Heraklion, on the island of Crete.
The siege of Candia lasted over twenty-one years from 1648 until 1669.
Candia was an outpost of the Venetian empire with Venice having ruled the land since the Fourth Crusade (1202-04).
The Ottoman-Venetian Wars started in 1645 and lasted some 25 years. The key strategic position of Candia made it important in the battle for supremacy of the Mediterranean.
In 1644 the Ottomans landed on Crete and quickly gained control of all of the island except for Candia.
Over the long period of this siege countless lives were lost by both the Ottomans and the Venetians as numerous and expensive the battles for Candia occurred.
During the final battle for Candia, over 70,000 Ottoman soldiers perished. An additional 38,000 siege works were estimated to have died. The besieged city lost over 29000 lives as they continuously repelled the never ending attacks of the Ottomans.
In 1668 the Ottomans offered a peace treaty that was refused by the Venetians.
The French had been supporting Venice in this battle, however they withdrew and with no more than 3,600 men left to fight, the Venetian General Francesco Morosini surrendered and the siege ended on 5 September 1669.
There are times when we seem to be living during the most difficult period of human history. However throughout the ages there have often been periods of great difficulty and challenge.
The good news is that eventually these times all pass.
Let's look forward to the post COVID-10 period.