Passage: The new Ottoman army arrived on the island during the winter of 1666/1667, and in May, the final phase of the siege, overseen by the Grand Vizier himself, began. It would last for 28 months and cost the lives of 70,000 Ottoman soldiers, 38,000 conscripted Cretans and slaves who labored in the Ottoman siege works and 29,088 of the city's Christian defenders. Faced with the renewed Ottoman assault and a struggling economy, despite the prospect of considerable reinforcements from Western Europe, in 1668 the Signoria hoped to end the war by striking a peace settlement with the Ottomans. Indeed, the Venetians hoped to use the imminent arrival of reinforcements to secure concessions from the Ottomans. Admiral Andrea Valier was at first appointed as envoy, but fell ill and was quickly replaced by the elderly nobleman Alvise da Molin. Molin and his embassy traveled to Larissa, where the Ottoman court resided during one of the Sultan's hunting expeditions. The Ottomans proposed that Venice keep one half of Crete, but the Signoria, emboldened by further pledges of reinforcements, especially from France, and renewed turmoil at the Ottoman court and within the Empire, refused the offer. Molin, in the meantime transported by the Ottomans to Canea in Crete, was ordered to continue negotiations and to continue observing the Ottomans' strength and intentions, but not commit himself or the Republic.
How many more Ottoman soldiers died than conscripted Cretans? How many more conscripted Cretans and slaves died than Christian defenders? How many more conscripted Cretans and slaves died than the city's Christian defenders? How many people in all died during the siege? How many years spanned from when the Ottoman arrived to when the war ended? How many years spanned the winter the Ottoman army arrived on the island? Over how many years did the final phase of the siege by the Ottoman army last? What island did the siege last 28 months on? What year did the final phase of the siege, overseen by the Grand Vizier begin? Where did the Ottomans take de Molin? Which happened first, de Molin replacing Valier or his embassy's travel to Larissa? Which was there a bigger loss of, conscripted Cretans and slaves or Christian defenders?