BEFORE EUROPEAN HEGEMONY ‘The World System A.D. 1250-1350 JANET L. ABU-LUGHOD, New York Oxford (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESSCHAPTER 4 ORI The Merchant Mariners of Genoa and Venice Witiam Mei (1974 gave okon Venice the suite, “The Hing of Europe the sear fhe tn compat forbyits redo. He ma, however, beacuse pro Veneta as (reir not nonin ne irate ni ce) Sine’ Genoa cou ay equ sam fo tat Key poston I ete Europe and th One ic ‘Both ites layed pot ls in jning Europe wo theo word economy fh eat Both bce eat naval and meet ower staging for supremacy over the Medteance, het fm “Arab Sen," and for exci sto preferential teasing ‘Si inthe Bn nang of ae fn in Egypt, which guarded the atoay to India and bojond ‘An om the leverh othe od oh ortecnth century whos ‘Geno aly capitate, oth wore locked nw dealy tae Mesre thom ss lanes and dest tha of he sl Each wat vanguard, Geographical, each ed to each os fr asposiblein An Inston enc edo deve ter ways The Merchant Marines of Genoe and Venice 108 do busines to accumulate larger amounts of ess isk capita, tims companies, and o monopolize the markets for com: ies and money. Technolog, both developed lnpresve cation in navigation, spuds, and armament Either have acompshed th tsk of connecting the caltual stands the thrtent-centary world item, Tragicaly, these wo gents foe oo many, for they Spt es mach energy fighting one tera they did congerng the Es. Both were fated 1 take he se ing sulted by pits, water, of high terran from Tandbted hinterlands, Origins ofthe Two Port Cities con, a suet abort ded at he ae of mountainous spt hailed ro te manlad behind, was fom att ies port an rom tne one, vc of inasion eda aya the it etary BC, vially destroyed Carthage inte Second Pune War, rbult y the Romans cn ith new wala the foot entry AD fl (Dike Onrogoth nd thn the Lombard who duped nth rn reek y the Byeanigs in 386 Reno 159,128), {tremaed unr the nial of Costaniopl brtecn the inh and enh centri, bot ony 88 ode hing gt {aval own whe ibaa Hed tustenc lees (Ren ‘Sard, 1901298; ade wa nl being i cou esi atthe Cade seal commenced in the tenth entry for by then Gece wesseay at wa wth te Nisin taf the went Mesteranean, 34-935 Ft feet some snd cette ty. Only och inte die Gen Cox, he Pans courte, sending xpd a {Bet opi the Mane Srl and Corey tater xen ftom Nh A cap oh tii, {fey catered tha own ty in 106, ekacng tie an fos tno ln, ade contin rom He Mn ruet—an {Senpce trom be toe By tbe endo he leven contr, the Genes gine de ‘acts independence fom te Eastin Roman Eire an bad‘xablsied eral compagna, an association of eins under the author of six and Iter om coal elected fr thew year terms (Renouar, 1969, 1: 22-23). Appetite wheted and abi ites ested by prior sen bles and szaingo expand their horizon from the western basin of the Mediteranean tothe easter, he (Genoese ethnically anonered the allo the Pope for the ist. foray ofthat bloody and eventually unsuecessl ventare—the con. ‘et of Palestine. Begun in 1095 and ot abandoned unl the st. (Crusader footbold in Ace fl 1 the Mamluks in 1291, the Cre ‘des brought West and East ito admitedly antagonistic bat ‘vethless permanent involvement with one seater. ‘Venice was less eager than Genoa to enter tht strug, how- ‘rer, forse ha ery ferent and eter Kink tothe eat that she wa relctant to stu. In spt of Eath Ennen's generally tev contention that aly, ule the eons of northern Europe, Ind an unbroken comity of urban setlemen: throughout the sovaled "Dark Age," Venice mostbe counted unlike venerable (Genoa, as a "new town,” albeit one wih urban rot. It was founded in about 588 (st preeiting Shing vilage) when a stream of migrant inlanders Be the tvading Lonard to sek {efage tthe goons of shore (Lane, 173: 4. Venice remained firmly staced to Byzantium, even after the Lombards had con- «quere ll ofthe allan mainland, including Ravenna, which had ‘een the Halian capital ofthe Byzantine Empire, And even afer the Lombards were incosporated into Charlemagne’s domain the Venetians, with the Help ofa Byzantine fet, were abl 0 resist. Charlemagne’ attempt S10 fnelue her aswell Inthe eat ff peace finlyconduded between the Byeantine emperor and Charlemagne, Venice was explcly poteted (Lan, 197: 5), ‘hic thas laid th foundations forthe bso primacy of Venice (ver the eter Talo-Byzantne seaports in western tade™ (Lopez, 19:27), ‘Although Venice benefited from hit liane, gaining certain trade preg in Byeatine por, she was not yet able To take falladvantage of he commercial opportunites they made pose Even though before 1000 A.D. "some Venetians were seamen ‘expert enough to coss the Mediterranean. Greeks, Syrians, ln other Easterners cared most ofthe trade between Venice nd the Levant” (Lane, I73 8), a ded they did in other Eoopean ports” At thal time, Venice could only offer for rade ‘The Merchant Marinas of Genoa and Venice 105 oct supple lt, nd mber a wel a slaves captured primal fom her aotyt-Cristianzed neighborsacross the Ade te (Lave, 1973: 7-8; Renosrd, 199, I-13). Ae Braudel Stress, upto the ime ofthe Cranes “aly was ill only a poor ‘Periph repo, intent ov making her stevie acoeptale to (Shere ara poreyor of tnber grit nen coh salt and slaves {fom the European interior” (564: 107), ‘But Venge had aleady bogun to play a more active roe in commerce, even Before the Crusades began, In 1080 she lly ‘rake theouph the backade of the Norman Kingdom that con- trolled the lover water ofthe Adriatic. Coming fo the rescue of the Byzantine ct, be aeited i recing hat rol waterway, for which sbe ws rewarded by the Byzantine Emperor Alexis f in 102 wth » wpe ehrter (be Golden Bul) ranting her vic. {all fl trading privileges and exemptions ro ls (Lane, 197 27-29; Braunsen snd Dolor, 1971-441) throughout the empire nds impor in Constantinople, Chrstendon's gest 20d ‘most prosperous eli and the gateway to Central Asin Having {puned thi concession and now ale to expand her trade in he evant, she was understandably eoctant © risk her ships and ee ‘eputation to fellow the Eat Crosade "at ths pont, Geos and Venice il occupied relatively separate spheres, Genoa, on the wet coast of aly, commanded the western tain ofthe Mediterraneo, galing guint tentrialor wading foncssons fom the Muslin of Spin from th ands of het ‘ore, andi lttoral North Aft. The Venetians were smiley "engthnlg ter ines of communication i the ester basin of {he Mediterranean having gine sesso ports el roughot {he Aegean apd least some os tans, a well a Contant rople ad the Black Se, Her euctanc otamper wih thi status ‘was matched by Geno's eagemess to "break nto” the richer Inarkete ofthe Bart ‘The Impact ofthe Crusades on Venice and Genoa ‘was thus Genoese and Psan sips that came to the rescue of ‘he Freach Flemish, and other European ight who ad eager ‘towered Pope Urban the Sond al a 1095 fora "recongaes™of th Holy Land from the Mosins who, exe sine the second If o th seventh century—hary x new testa corverted ost of the resident population 1 Isl. It sick toda) to fomprebend the east seal with which Kings and count gathered | thet retainers ad headed fora place more fabled than known, Some cynics sigue that it was more eagerness for booty than for vine redemption that motivated the counts of Champagne, le, tnd Flanders and the kings of France and Ean nes 10 St off on so eros &jourey. Yet the documents ofthe tine ane both more nave and otherworll than such an terpretation ‘would pret ‘Nevertheless, the slave levels of civilization in Europe and ‘the Levant do Suggest thatthe Crusaders were more akin fo the ‘marins who periodically preyed on the weed weakh of high cares than to carers of the mision eiiaarie Ax Cpa (976: 26) puts "tere no doubt tha from the fl ofthe ‘Roman Empire tothe beginning ofthe thirteenth eetary Europe was an underdeveloped ares ie eatin tthe major ener of llzaon at theme... elem aland of erbarian.” Arche ihald Lewis (970 vi) uses this discrepancy to souat forthe ‘symmetrical intrest Fat and West showed in each ater, Al ‘hough European eageriy sought out Musim lands and: thee ealth and "copied man facets of Musi etre,” thee interest ‘eas not reciprocated. Not oly dd “the average uppersas Mos lem [lel speror to most Wester Europeans, but the wide seogaptc lore ofthe Aras never extende to ester Europe, fr efea they considered had Tile wo offer (Cpl, 1976: 26) Even afer the Crsads thes Esropetn thet into tel beat land, Mastin atitudes remained condescending best tnd aghast a worst, whereas their invaders were filed wih sange mitre fot hatred and oman f eacant) awe ad admit, Inthe evel and thirteenth century the erate in both so eis reflected tis asymmetry. The best summary of European views iby Sylvia Thupg who points ot that, hn ee at st Wig ei cnt peoples preraing among Peach sbleand ott smonath oper Seurgeoi in the welt nd thee centurirTe cement the poten are the comoeltani the word f sa per ‘he Marchant Mariners of Ganow and Venice 107 sd weh the splendor of cis, the vere of its pope ‘Te Mass ae pely ened bee they know eten ter thin (be French bow tone (Tapp WT 2) ‘Sch an exalted view ofthe enemy, however, was belied by the Cranaders’ behavior toward thom, which evoked evasion intel ‘Msi vitms. Moslims saw the “Franks”—as westemers were ‘omsitenty referred to in Arab iteature—"as Beast superior i ‘ourage and ghting aor bt in nothing ele, just animals {nc soperioc in stength and aggression.” “Tis characterization was no toally unfounded. In 1088 Cro sader destruction ofthe Syrian town of Matra had en accom ied by acknowledged as ofFranish sonal. Graphically fescibed inte chron of Radu of Caen (be admis that "Ia Matar our oops oiled pagan du in cooking pote they i pale childcen on spits and devoured them piled), they were [tee justfed” in a eter sent to the Pope by the Chistian com ‘unde, who blamed the apse on exteme hunger. Needless to Sy tht cacao was damised by Arab historians wo continued to desrbe thei oodtbiety enemes as eaters not only of people tu, what was worse, even of dogs, considered the undeanest of ‘pees (Meal, 196: 39-40. "The barbarians, however, met with some succes ia thi is niltary incursion. The Genoese and Pans, who bad so eagely Sspported the Crosaders i heir attack on Palestine, reaped thet promised reward. They were given one-third ofthe ely and sub. tbs of Ace as well at Smiar portions inthe other tes they Telped to conquer. Once the Cader sate was et up, they alse roctved,setvoacively, one-quarter of Jersnlem and of Talla (Cyd, 1885, 1 138. ‘ence eid back until the operation looked as though it might succeed. Not unt 109, after the Frank armies had batered thet ay into erosalem, slaughtering evry Muslim in the city and buringall the Jews livin the main syeagogue. dis Venetian fet of 200 leave} the Lid port” (Norvaeh, 1982: 76 We hall trved inthe same of 1100 jut in ne oat inthe recapture ff Jaffa and other towns. Asia eeward the Venetians were lo Iloted one-third the towns land and eniros and piven special Trading conessions inthe new Crusader Kingdom (Hey, 1885, 1) Tater, Venice reeved her sul hid whee he pets of Tye| 108 ‘onan sure and Asealon wore ten with her hep (Hy, 1885, I: 1-14) ‘Venetians were allowed fo form their own auarer and enjoyed «positon privileged to expat the commerdal opportunites of expanding trae. “This ret ene tothe riches af he ast changed the role of | the Taian merchant mariner ees from pasve fo active, The revival of the Champagne fais in the twelh centoy can be ex- | Plaine convincingly by both the eahanced demand for eastern | [ods stimulated by the Crusades and, because ofthe static sition of the tine in coma enlives ofthe Levan, the | ‘eased supplies of sch goods they could now deliver | “The Genoese and 1 a leer extent the Venetian had began the Tong proces ef pag the flerum of the word system, By | the thieenth entry the center of gravity [of Europe at cei] had definitely moved tothe big oor of northern and central aly | (Venice, Milan, Genca and Fence) whose powerful merchants ‘hd fim grip onthe routes towards the fertile and ndstrous | ‘European hinterland and endeavored to reach far beyond the de lining Ila ned into the depts of Asia and Ati” (Lope, 1976.95). But that processed ata litle bythe trwt ito the Near Eatem head of "other brbatan” arvng frm ‘he eas, the Moagols—noul tke al ofthe twelfth and most of ‘he thirteenth century and wosld not be deivly achieved uni ‘he opeing years ofthe keenth century, when thefts would be gathered ot bythe tans who plnted them bat by the Po tuguese who suceede (albeit wih he belp of Genoese capital nd silees) in outanking them Colonial Expansion Abroed During the tvelth century the Halas expanded and consolidated thsirimperal reach, balding and arming age his plundering weaker vesoel~Musim and Christan alike—for tir booty. ‘ing with one another for more profable terms of trade and ‘ceuyying any vulnerable pot along the shores or on the ods ofthe Mediteranean, Tal two eastern destinations were the ‘Crusader enclaves ofthe Lean, wich received good fom the COrient—eithr totally overland or, more commonly, via caravan routes tat connected othe Persian Gull—and, es commonly, ‘The Merchant Maines of Genow and Venice 108 ‘Constantinople where the Genoese ad gained trading concessions {favorable a thas enjoyed by the Venetians. However, nthe ast ti of the welt century, tary evens foyeed a reiewed focus on the norte outlet. Crusader enclave titer enclave succumbed tothe Muslim foes of Slik Turks who Entered the region from the northeast under the leadership fst (f Nur akDin sod hen of hi accessor, Salah al-Din a- Ayub {he Saladin of European documents). By 1187 Saladin bad rote the Cruser armies and Mass reocped Titeia, lls, Ax fon, Guz, and, finaly, Jerolem. The Ayyubid dynasty now fell Egypt and mostof he Fertle Crescent aswellas eastern “Anatolis. On few western colonies remained in the Levant "As itr deterred forthe Chrisian side, Papal injunctions gins ade with the “ifidle” (a pious but fue probibition) tere increasingly enforced, which enhanced the relative positon ‘Of Chvsian traders based in Constantinople and onthe nds of {hete, Cyrus, and Rhodes Compationbetweea the Hains and the Byramtne "Greke” eame to an exasperating head 11RD ‘nen in Constantinople there was “wholesale massacre of the itn” [tha s,s] whose quarters were setae (Runciman, 1952 10H. Although five year later the situation had been bor talied and be ters were able to resablih thei colonies (Wenetans within the iy proper, Genoese ars the Golden Horn ie Pera), the underlying competion fetered for several ‘ecades unt Venice, nan nderbanded but ee bist poy, ‘Seceeded in adding Contannople to i growing empire dt ‘lacing by oe dramatic act both ts Grek and Genoose ras for the aorteasern trade ‘The Fourth Crusade of 1204 The Latin Empire of Constantinople “The somewhat sordid dels ofthis event have come down (0 turin t primary document, The Conquest of Consantnople, tien by keght from Champagpe with estates aot fr (rom ‘Troyes, Geffey de Vilebardouln” lathe summer of 1202, he tell us, Crusader forces began assembling fom al over Europe tthe Udo of Venice where arrangements had teen made t0 ent an improve sumer of ships to take them to Egypt andho ‘sonore cones then the Holy Land, They were tobe joined by a second et ftom Pander that card the forees of Count Baldwin TX. But otal who promised to join appeared nor were those who did ‘ble tore the step fe demanded by the Venetians. A com- [promise was reached, whereby the Crusder, in ern for a re [tation inthe price agreed first to travel to Zara to recapture that ety from the Hungarane(Villekardouin, 198: 40-40). By vince the combined ores reached and subdued Zara, whose Spoils were divided equally between the Venetians and the Craades. “The Venetians, however, sfused to set sil gai ut Easter, and when they did they headed at south 6 Cairo planned but ‘stward to Constantinople. Exclaimed Viehardouin (985: 58 59) ste Venetian et pt nto that pot, [one] eter imagined there could tes le pac nll the odd vt high walls toy towers coring and ts ich palaces nd tal churches ‘so many that no one would bave belived ito be rs.” Aer ‘cha paca of pre, ii ard to believe thatthe next action {Hou have beet a stault onthe cy. Between Jay 1203 and ‘April 1204 he "Latins who hd set oat to gt the nidelsinstead ‘paiceed thet fllow Christians sod, when the city was ally fotered st it on Br, plundered is siches, and then pious ‘Heated Palm Sanday abd Esser Day "with heats ull of oy forthe benefit our Lard abd Saviour had bexowed on them” (Wiehardouin, 1985: 93). “The Count of Flanders and Hsinat, Baldwin IX, stl in his ‘ments, was eeced Emperor of the Lata kingdom of Conta tinople is coronstin aking place afew woeks ater nthe ret ‘Church of Sait Sophia The Venetians wanted no high off; they wanted ony to expan thee merchant empire. They “appro pte the best part of the imperil terior” (Norwich, 1982: i) liming teeghs ofthe ety and empl nctoing al of Cet, fom which Venice would dct her spice trade into the foortenth sod fifteenth centuries. She excluded Genoa and Psy ter ach val, rom her hegemonic domain, which now tetched ftom the Caspian and Blak Seat onthe north tothe Levent, tivough the entra Mditeranenn and itssands, up the Adriatic fad, overland, beyond the Alps into Germany andthe North Se. ‘This, when added to her connuing Egyptian connection, made “The Mechot Mariners of Genoa and Venice 111 Venice the dominast fore controling Exropesn access t0 the ‘oot an ss of Asi ‘Asa result the thirteenth century was period of Venetian cflrescence at home incre, 9 pits, in ndastey (parti ‘ny shipbuilding and eranspor), and in busines. Buti wat m0 {ess0 for Gens, which sill had no sesou valine hegemonic ‘enc_North Ae and northwestern Europe, where the trade st ‘Gonmpagne far outshone tat in Leck, Toward the end ofthe entury, a 000 in Chapter 3, se woul further soiy her old tp moving westward ut into the Adan and then on to Bruges. [New Technologies at Sea “The Crude silted reulable nr inte naval power “ibe mernrtace.The heightened ean fo spe = sory ‘husdor boeing laf pss heading for the Holy ind and te goods fact fy the new trade eonesions fined by Ps, Genoa, and Vence—al eo aval frenzy of Eipouldng, Although mos ships wore sl but and owned by ‘eal fais, the inal construction fn 1104 ofthe Vent Treat (ar mnical faity fr shpbulg) signaled that an ‘vip so otal the economic bar ofthe mate es node ‘Dore thn individual etoprenurs. I ad to involve the sate fd, withthe entire popu, a8 we sal se Tate ven in Genoa where spb wat anced by privately pooled capital, th sate played regltry and fcitaing roe “nthe th sod thiecnth contri the Tans ed hee ‘gps of spo ngeditance anspor the ailing hip (ced ‘Beni obuca) wth wo decks nd by the heen entry, tren thee, propels by fours cen sul died equally ove and atte gly (le glen, gates, raga), warp ‘opel by large nombers of oarsmen Dut equiped ith 8 few {en sais for amar we} and he fre, com baer the two, having both ots ad al to ils. wo mat, ch Wasbotrheiir and ower the aly bat baa eter Tapa (Bye, 19003), The pl wore at nein connection ‘tihahe Crsnes but, when at demand wound down athe end Ute thincenth century, both saing ships (ometines called found ships or cos) and lange alleys were equ ed for ade,2 ‘ nnorean suneran ‘Overtime, ships Boame larger and large. Byrne (1930: 8) provides some estimates of tet dimensions. In preparation for fis 1248 Crusade, St. Louis not onl eased hupdrets af hips rom (Genoa aad Venice but ordered the contruction of ow and larger ‘ones. The big ship the Genoese provided wa the Parada, Some $3 fet lng, which could transport a hundred Crusade, {heir horses, armor, and stendats oi iter Hime, ascommo. ‘ate abou 1000 paeages for tae of pgrimage Aithoogh ‘ppenre pony today, the 600 tons of cago are Genoese ship ould cary tn the thieenth century Was roophly equal tthe shipping capacities offourtenth- (Unger, 1960: 169) and even Sixtenh-century vessels (Byrne, 190: 10-12) and compared f. ‘oraly with the shipe Columbus sed to sone” the New World The alleys could respond sensively to diction hnges; the addition of special rudders onthe cogs and hulls ‘enhanced the maneuverability of thi ype, "Not only wete ships becoming lager and more maneuverable ‘bot navigation techniques were undergoing significant fnprve mens atthe same time, Although 2 “ating magnetic needle” had ong been used a compass on Chinese shipe™ and Arab sailors ed dis guide wo navigation to supplement the sideres. ‘Gependeststrolabe (wnfertunately of litle we on Lory igh ‘whenstas were obscured), ts adoption (inthe form ofthe bustol) by the Maas inthe later pat ‘ofthe twelh century meant a real improvement. Partnaly in combiatoa wit "be later] ‘reaton of mata char unprecedeted acura and th com Dilton ofthe navigating ables called ave de marl relered to in a rare manuscript of 1290 a8 already wel establabed, the ‘compass made yearfoundsaling pense” (Lane, "The Boone Meaning of the Invention of the Comps,” reprinted in 196 30). Hitherto, there had been only summer singe now there ‘ould he convoys inthe winter ar wel although Lane cinta ita only inthe fourteenth century thatthe double muds became ‘common (Lane, 1965330). Timprovemenis were not conned to the phyial technologie of saling, however. Parallel developments socal tnd economic techmigoes were equally essential to harness the enced tran por eapactes. OF greatest importance were the ways Gevied to ool ship to reduce hazard and, perhaps a significant, the wpe fnvented to pool epital and dstbute ik. The fst involved the ‘The Merchant Maines of Genoa and Venice 118, convoy andthe Sighting merchant marines; he ater required new foams of epi, ‘Given the endeie war o the high eas, no merchant sipping ‘was fry safe without the organization of convoys protected by Iorships, backed by the ul ower ofthe “sate” Safe pusage td been exten forthe developmen of peso fas; for the (Champagne fas, protection was provided by the feudal waviords [Bu over water, sale pusape could not be arranged in such 3 way. ‘sta Bitanna's hegemony was tert be assed by her naval Ipmboats, the success ofthe Haan merchant est depended in {helest anal upon how wel the aed inthe marine war of ll sist ll—sometimes called piracy, but only when the sts of fomles wore being described. This protectin could not be bought fom someoae ese; the Italians bad to provide for themes.” "This aced fora citzen “milia” may have been one of the reasons the governens ofthe Taian pot tats vere bath "more ‘kmocrate” and mre srety volved in economic vette than two fhe casein either France or Manders” As Lan pt "the ‘Gow of the merchant marine andthe navy wee the same people” (Lane, 197348. All salors were alo fighters, and the convoys that dled the Nealterraneantwie 2 yar siayed together in ravas,te tent twenty ater small slp (aves) accompanied ‘by “one or two relly big round ships [og] ora few galley for ‘plteetion” (Lane, 1973: 68). The crews were expected, when ‘ecesary, to seize ther swords, daggers, javelin, and lanes fF the hand-ofhand combat that was Je rigueur, fr there were a5 ye neither enone nor, of ours, pons om board (Lane, 1973: 48 1), Sength in numbers, therefore, was cucal strategy, ond ths was undoubtedly the underying reason why the Commuse et the date for a convoy sing, the mud, aterm that was spied a tt the convoy ise and Tater to the time et fr its ailing (ane 1957, reprinted 1966 128-141), ‘The Alliance between the State and Private Capitalism ‘We hae already alluded to the pil elationshipbetween private rtrepreneural or venture captain and the estate gover ‘ment that exited to deed and ett Buta tisistance, Gonond Venie developed gute diferent pattern for ite expression, Im Venice, tbe eangements wre certo sate capt with strong subcomponent of iadvidal enterprise. In Genoa the mit ‘vas reversed inividal tzes were more invoed than the state indirect vet. “The variation may have evved rom the tlerent origins of the two cites, Venice, a "new ety” that did not import lite from the hinterlands but developed it indigenous, was les frat tured by the sods of interfamiy feuds and competive srs ‘hat plagued nat Haney state, nlading Geos (Heer, Eng nh tran. 197: passim) The later, Because the ability derived, ‘in prt at least, fom 3 landowning cls that cme from the hin ‘evans, tended © perpetuate od bate inthe new aena-—mi00- ing fom rural mltary coafiet to modern wan thot ‘competition in bornes and government, ‘Both Genoa and Venice used the istition ofthe public de, ‘niu of ation, t fond investment in infatacure an Jeense {tome at on te high seas. Even before 1200, the It States had developed the nsttation of the “pub deb, tere grand "shares of sock that pid a regular if variable n- ferestand could be redeeaed any me unds were plentfl Dring ‘he course ofthe thineeath century, however, sytem of forced toaosexme to preva in Venice and Floren, parialary tof tance large merekant-itary campaigns In const, in Gon “were the system developed frter and led longer than any: where els and in ne with her more individualistic approach, the loan tothe commune were a {ven revenue producing state fonction (Luzato, English trans 196i: 128-129). This stem ltr resulted inthe kind of "ta farming” asocied more with Musim fendi than with the commananes of Europe "The istttion ofthe pubic debt, whether saburibed to vo untrily‘or levies according to percentage of famly wealth” shaped pect relalonsiip between cy government and mr ‘hant wealth. With the state seen at yt another outlet for pro lable capital investment twas natural tht merchants would be ‘eager (0 partipate in (that fs, contol) sae decison making Indeed, in deserting the relationship between pial power and ‘The Merchant Mariners of Genoa aed Venice 115, ‘merchant wealth in Venive and Genoa, Le Gof points ut tht in fourteenth and sfteent-century Genoa and Vnie, speculations fon the tre “alae” of share nthe pute deb "constituted. ‘anger and Lrger pat of the affairs ofthe big merchants" (1936 24). Tat goverameat vas ron 3 compotion fs well with mer ‘hast etalon Merchant Capitalism Jn the "Great Debate” on the oxgins of exptalm,stention fo- ses closely onthe Taian city-states of the thitenth century. ‘The bée noire ofthe Taian mesievalsts is Werner Sombart, who elaimed thatthe level of econo sophistication and alsence in thisteenth-century cites (even in Tal, by fr the most advanced) ta too laierouly lw Yo suai at “capitate.” On the ther {ie ofthe dette are mvt scholars of medieval aly, who ake ‘mn atdent ples for “complimenting” the ater by cling i xp tam.” Although tei evidence drawn lrgly fom studies of Economic insttions, some even cain that ax Weber + nbulous “Spi” of moder capitalism aso extedin Taian towns ofthe shirtecath and fourteenth centuries." This seems to be a sterile feta. hink we ean assume that the forms of any sven “ial ‘ope abit gradual from pont of orgn to fl development and ‘hat, parialy al the early stage, the inovatve fora exst i soil formation with which sin cont. Much depends ‘pon the definition of “apt” wed Lane (1968, reprinted 1566: 57), adopting what he called the “sensible deiniton of Over Cox (193), argues that "Venice ve the int [Earopean city] to become capitalistic nthe sense {hat ring las made ther velnood by employing wealth in ‘he frm of commercial capitalcash ship, and esnmodies — fd used thle contol of government to icete thee roti ‘But this seems to be to particule and super. prefer the postion taken by Le Goff (1856: 39-0) who saye itisbetter think of taan medieval merchants as “precast” fn the Marsan sense, beeane “feudalism” wae sl the dominant {oem of sail ergaization In the mito hit, however, was 2 ade of ne types suoggling to overtrn that order—indsraliss {Ga Flanders) and merchants (0 Tay), ho were preparing for16 ‘rr unortan sunerren plain, He distinguishes sharply between an mercheat- tans, not yet capitate, and lager seal merchant beakers, who clearly were the vanguard forthe sytem then Belg born. ‘We now turn to this group to examin how farang tt path the merchant musiner sates of aly had advanced “Ascontrasted with an imperial economy, "fRe-entrpie” ap. itis is characterized byte eapaity to mobile or concerted favesiment, though “extastate” meas, move etal than any ‘one india, no matter how wealthy, can provide, The weal ‘isincton between the collectively posted capital ina tate so ‘is ystem and it entrepreneurial captain thane at ‘the eontibutors invest voluntary for the purpose of making 3 ‘rf. This return may tha be reinvested at tain pa fo the Purpose of gaining even more profit. Investor ao ony ry to ‘matimize their chances of rat bt diver thei “portfotoe" to ‘minimize the rk of losing al we ute thi definition, there can te litle doubt thatthe estates of Genoa and Vente (0410 sention Fleece and oer somimerl hil ies of lal) were simost capitalist bythe thitenth centr, albeit insight a ferent ways” “The method of apa poling ured ist, which continved to be favored in Venice even iter Genoa moved beyond it, wes the family fim called the frterma, whowe capital cme rors the un vided shares of family bets (other). The weal arrangement ‘ms fr the partner brothers to dvde labor, one cemining Ime to supervise fay interest (ataging forthe puchate of goods fr export andthe sl of inprt in the focal market) and {he other traveling wih the exported gods to foreign ports tll ‘hem ad to make purchases forthe return tip, Sach organizations vere hardy innovative. Thele avantage, however, wes tht he partners presumably could trast one another and wre prepared {0 work together for afte. Ths, a Heer (977 221-222) has so forcefully argued, the family, even afer the fourteenth ‘ear, wa stl te Basic unit of economic organization. “were, stallmerchans who ined money were equiped vith brotiers and ot all adventuros enrerentas were born ith the opt they needed. Therefore, even befor the hrtcenth ‘entury began, avariant had been developed, ale the commend rin Vente, the colganza In tis type of pate intaly ‘he Merchant Mariner of Genoa and Venice 117 fovme fron ona overias esr th Gat prince ur up twos ofthe rege capa andthe cond partner toate teresting one tir ps hs abr fo accompany the gods abroad, Refectngtr dierent inp once the ven {urea susefully condded they dvided th pots eqoly, fer ducing the tveling pres expenes Gradual, to take ito axoun young "cv partners” who tant yet sane sy copia Sera orm ws vied in til seeping” pare (he soled st) provided al the ‘pial and an "acive” pre, after covering bi expenses, {ine ony quar ofthe prot. However, ths id not work ‘ellor smal merchants whos expt dt wo wrt the ake Ss tin tar The eng et hereto Certed eqyieneatny contgnrents ea. vrty of eopng porte king» coon for thei eve Saeh agents Femuined abd for several senna, eng pets, sling the god, and oton cnrcing consdenble cretion about what the fern od woul onal Eventually lager ems employed factors who worked ot for conmisons but ors, remaining inthe major branch fee Srond to nde enesing ranactons. Ths however, as more onmon rest Eaops, soe te fst pot tere could ner {tne orsrto th factor Onthe nen ofthe Mester, {in Sy, nd in the pot owns onthe Black Se, more stony ‘alto be ranted to the permancly stale commision spent. Many of hs gan agents but eventually became depot rds they suse apa, unnng ary compbestd Hi ‘tary throgh varios ports ether than simple et 0 from Genoa or Ven. Inthe Oren, gets even began oak ‘om ivemon anhing” ston. Debs one by me in Sy w resident of Gen vere cece by tea sg Sy, de conc mae ih he eter ‘Gero, Tere suv ofc St ran, ‘od cad etre sown cece n soenas ‘Bose inate ees (Bynes 1) As forms of trade and types of partnerships became increasingly complex and more removed from the fay, better reson were ‘needed both for aecumting, whic had tobe rendered fo inves.tor, and for complex agreemens, whose terms could not be twisted to memory oft. Although doube-enty bookkeeping ‘seme Know i wa nt formal in plce unt the Inte fourtecth featur, even before that, records were kept s carefully that ‘ntemporary scholar ea, with bit of tor, transform them into [revert day accounting forms. Aad tough he earet Venton foures ele to aprecments under the name of ropadia (by ‘rayer) soon such contracts wee being writen down and mad ‘tcl by notary. Tn Gens this ntaringof documents bocame {2 vitual obsession, wih tousands of contracts recorded annually st home and in varioa colonies abroad Historians have conscientiously mined both account hooks and otal documents o understand how sis was conducted in ‘medieval Europe. But a Saprt (982, tansateg 197) bas sa ‘onialy pointed out, businesnen as cay ae the tas were 2 Hkely to use fal documents to deceive as o reveal. Thus, {wo ses of books seem to have been kept one forthe “investors fad possibly the tx assessors and one that showed the real a= ‘hunts Furthermore, the proison of noua dowuments offen ‘erlted from the ubdviston of given transaction ito mule (Gand spartely recorded) parts designed to conceal the exstence ‘of lnterest, forbidden by the Chutes injunction agaist usury Nevertbeles, the shecr volume of recorded transaction suggests that inthe tlian port cir busines investment na not ete to-a small group of upper cas enitepreneurs bat permeated the fine sonny Maree Polo's Venice vitally every “dandy” in the city hag money invested in ships at sea (Power, 1963: 43), which meant ‘hat capital was Being accumulated by more than the top cit. Te ‘Genoa partciation was even broader. An Ingenio sytem ha tron developed to tap nt only the large capital of ship owners and merchants but the pty apa of vor, atsans, and even ‘members of the “lower clases" Not only did slo carry goode ‘on commision and artisans and bouscwives nd small quantities ‘ther production for marketing in ther ports, bt ownership of ‘Ships and ther eargoc Became 3 nfintly vided that even 4 oor worker could vet a ptance—at i lotery—hoping that I ship would come in” “Tit Genoese inetittion wa so similar to joint tok company ‘The Merchant Mariner of Genoa ond Venice 119, (ot invented atl much inte that it deserves tobe described ets (1930. 12 tls stat before the thetenth century, when ‘MB were reltvely sal, they were owned by individuals oa Sc parmership snd were operated by one ofthe owners. How ‘sm commerce expanded and larger ships were built inthe {hrcenth century, the omnersip of esels was subdivided nto ‘Shes called loa: Ths sytem was partly prevalent inthe ‘cr tade with the Levent On ay ship "tbe numberof loc tte the same ar the numberof mariners requied to man the eset” (Bye, 1930: 15), 50 the owner ofa cum evigntly a- ‘Sine responsi forthe expenses asociated with @ marine; {ined a ppc matinee war intended, for Toca owners could ‘rom raner "et" mariner oa dierent ship (Bye, 190: 16. ‘The owner was ened to merchant quarters ring the journey and was given 8 unit ofslorage space. Although at fest large ‘Bircham bought or rented whole stares for thet own use, hese ‘ces padually were divided and sobvided agua unt ini ‘Gincontd bold oe-tweny-fouth of locum oF an even smaller Share Inthe pres, the locum became a “commodity hat coal te bought ad sold onthe markt, “pledged fr loans... pay mariners" wages to bay ods for export (Byrne, 1930: 17-18), tr rem inaccomondato or as Seay in a mortgage. In shot, ‘heck share” was treated wr any eer pce of merchandise ‘x personal propety. According to Byene (30:1) Men ad wore rm lank sey omned share; members of fami pole thor roost pore share, val erin pd ect fr oe he ve ome urement ‘ne toh eam which Was rep onl i thesp ave sat. would be had to ind more advanced form of th nsttatons tress with moder capitalism than hisexampllafullower Fnr@enoa by the fre al ofthe thiteonth century. However ths sams to ave been oly a temporary expedient “Although (olwnerti by oes carstezed the entre eld of ‘Genvos shiping ut about the mide of he tite centary [eventual] the acumltion of vst ortanes by ames and indus and the Inerensing security of oversea rade made it0 ‘uc nunonn sunset no longer imperative” as way of dsibuting isk and pooting Espital (Byene, 1990: 12). By the end ofthe tirtcnth centry ‘oth the smal hips cwaed by thee captains and the smal holders 1 foea had ben displaced By a commercial aristocracy that had ‘ccumulted vast wealth and experience in foreign trade (Byrne, 195065, * Trough thei cont over the admit laser ire communal government, they achieved almost as much 36 their ‘ounterpars di inthe more soiled sytem of shiping invest. ‘ent tat preva in Venice ‘Changes inthe System of Trade, 1260 101380 ‘The relative postions of Genoa and Venice, the vo contenders for navalcommercal hegemony, sifted toward the end ofthe thrtecoth century within the context of @ changing poltical and {eopraphic envionment. Genos's recovery sigsled renewed Struggle between the wo “superpower hat ended only in 1380 ‘when the Genoese, posed onthe Venetian ‘land of Chiogsa {eady forthe ill, wee finaly defeated. The Peace of Tusa (131) ‘ues the Nediteranenn and in parca the oletaltade 1 8 Venetian monopoly. Why di hs ccc? Dering the second af ofthe thirteenth centr, ays eastern connections underwent a seis of eligoments hat removed the ener" and spt te fest Beween the Southern a northern routes. This dvepence in the paths of European expansion into the Middle East heardand began in 1258 when the Mongols J. ttroyed Baghdad and established theirival capital at Tabi, f= ther north and east, This reduced the ataciveness ofthe old ‘ivan rout that pase vera rom the Crosnder Kingdom 0 Baghdad, before following the Tis River to Basa, and thea seting out by es though the Arab-Perian Gulf and the Indian ‘Ocean beyond: Toward the end ofthe thitecath century, the los tof the Crusader foothols i Palestine further undesinod this od pathway. After that some tafe shifted either north through Cex trl Asia or south through Egypt othe Red Sea and then to Aden, before entering the Indian Ovean “The begining ofthis new period was signed onthe north by ‘The Marchant Mariners of Canoe and Venice 121 tu al in 125 of the Latin Kingdom of Contatnepe, which Sectvely destroyed the Venetian monopoly over the Black Sea {ind trade. Iso arp that Conor assed the Byeantine {outdo in wcaeuing the hy and in eur, was restored ss tfc bopeomonse European forse tht sone. Geno's pi rank sll oneted bye ld sly, P, ut tht competion v= Ty ended by er dx defeat ofthe Pun Beet 1238, With resiund, he Groce tloments at Per, onthe Golden Horm, nd at Caf, stworn the Black and Corps Ss, expt the {Foming overan’ wads to the eu, whih notated hy the ‘Emporny per mongol (ce Chplr$). 1 of sme sini. ‘am, pert, that when Maree Pol’ faber abd unde made theft pin 121 fom Veneto the ld of the Kans, they (tna Comtaatinople; However, hl ftun tp 168 was Vio Ate ol in Crandsr hangs. Ad wha they set oo gain in {2s th time nempied by sventcen year Mare, they ‘elied Consus ctely,pssinginstead trough Pera 0 ihe Arb Gull” ‘Bopleced om thir orthrn domain he Venetians refocused thiratemonsoutnar were major changes ween place: Insp the Manik ete, fe an terepnam of en yars {125052 fly replaced the dynty of Sd acceso, {he Axyubia, Venere contermove sire er Goce Hels ‘sto stonghen her los with thi new mit ete of Uncand omer ave colts asetegy that sumed eight ‘Scans 21 when the Mami completed Sala’ work by reeping Act, the “capital” the Crsader Kingdom and {hele ening Eoropean foothold in tele emp “This end to the “ret vente” rege a even more drastic sealguneat tain rots sd partners Maik ay became {hey trans pi fr tho sea-brne ester tae. Ths Began {hestangl eae catonetypbenwcen he Veneta ers ino tied to gam monopole contol over the spc ade and {he equally monopole Mamisk ate, yng 10 pain ada fous term rough tl and ti ‘Genoa didnot cote theo ene withthe Eto Venice without stg, Her countonmove wart ston weir though the ‘lune it wes not who sigiennce tht Geos fst real ttn to vech the Indes by cicummavigatig Aa came I1291 (Ifthe shipsof he Vial brothers had made the Genoese tight have played the role in the word system acheved by the Portuese two centuris ltr.) It was alin the lt thistenth entry that Genoa established ber ist commercial sea conneston with counties on the North Ses—both England and Flnde. Although up to then the Muss had more or less controled pasage trough the Strait of Gibraltar, limited number of Ge es ships had alvays mace thelr way through. However, once the Musi sex forces had een decisively deleted in 1293 by & join Castilan-Genoese Net iret trade with Bruges was ea Tsed on a epular basi ‘As canbe seen from thi account, ding the later prt of the thirteenth century and, even more inthe eal part of the fou teenth century, the per ies of Genoa and Venice expanded tei ‘each to incorporate virtually every pat ofthe developing Euro ‘ean word-economy. And eventhough each was hegemonic in Somewhat differen part ofthe sysem (Genes st Bruges, Veace ‘st Antwerpand Labeck; Geno nthe Black Se, Venicein Eyp), ‘ther succeded in ly excluding the othe, Both parted inthe eae stem, Not only di they tradein all pat of weer Europe but they had made sigieant inroads into the Central ‘Asian and Middle Eas-North Alcan world economies that oa tind to mediate the Far Eastern wade. (So Figre 4) Tn the developing world stem, however, the Itsians Were till only one ofthe artkipants on whom trade depended. They in tum were dependent on thei counterparts fom other repioes i thenterchange was to persis. What i hey offer that made them 0 welcome in Middle Eastern ports? Perbape the best Way (0 answer this, ab well as to ite the compleity of the tide pattern established ty th early ears ofthe fourteenth ceatury, [sto quote Le Gof (1956 16). He invites sto follow a group of ‘merchants embarking at Gonos forthe eat ‘The argo is mostly lth, atm, met. The it por. raced {Tuite oon Tipo At Alera mer a soe roc of oa inst and above ll oil imported he rp. I oe sopped in Syn prs Aere, Tye, Ankit ‘sf oad waver, pln, [os] coming tom the st by Clraane. Batt Panag, onthe lod of Cpa which he (peer of pens A Lag atthe pit of the ara us 4 Modieraean rst of Geoa and Ven inthe Mile Ages.ra ‘mone nate Fol," he esos and gl cto te wr.” Ar Pow, ic eo a a ea eww Co ferns sod pone Byam the eto a fh rent cron fh outs of he Levent Then, feng he Black Sen, one ie Cf the Canes he red of Raa {2d Ass caning the gh a he Mngt te: whet, is, wa ‘le fia so above al tpn sane May ie dnc ‘ic thy do ig ba toe Ot thy topped ea “Senope rt Trend. Th mn anemone, arta {to Say the arp or Tian nef Chin ty the ln ote to css Cota Asay se fn an Gato Had we followed Venetian rather thin Genoese traders we would have been led on a inary eaitous route, dropping off cargo ‘none place and picking it up forsale elsewhere, although the stp in Egypt would have protubly ben preceed by «northern pk ‘pot slaves fom the Cavan, since twa the Ran ably to ‘replenish the anks ofthe Mamluk tht esentlly pve them het ‘argining power vis-a-vis the Faypin rulers. To comand sich sopplis,the later had to ensure a steady and expanding volume of spices, a well a eally manufactured cation and linen cath fod, as thelr position deteriorated, raw cotton ss wall (ASOT, Several artls vepited in 196, duansod Ia Chapter) By the eal decades ofthe fourteenth century there was lar evidence of increased integration ofthe various world economies ‘hat were forming into what might, with ite diet, be ead 2 word ysem—a large portion of which was eaptalist, Lanked bythe ian merchant mariner tats to a itl exter trae that eanected Asa Minor to China onthe arth tnd Egypt to Inia Malaysia, and Chia bythe southern sa route, western Bure hd aly entered that teng system and, alough se was mot yet hegemonic, at lest she was Becoming more equal partner. “The extent o which the world was “wnfyng” elected in he fact that prospesity was pandemic. Gonea was ste highest oi, ss were Brages and Caro (er we sal ce in Fat I, altoough the Champagne fairtowns had psd thi pine, as had Bagh and Constantinople. Chinese expansion had entered» new phase ‘An aggressive wade policy ws being pursed bythe Mongo les ‘The Marchant Mariners of Genos and Venice 125 ofthe Yuan dymaty whose merehans were actively reaching out foward the wet, R seemed only a matter of tine, withthe con tiation ofthe trends ready in motion, before the subsystems trouldintrmingle even moe, converting the “etal (to use Chan's term es univers eosonnés (196, second ed 1945: 54-58), nto a ely interdependent word sytem. "The basi problematic of ths book is undesiand why that 6d no happen, As we shal se, i would be eroneousto assume that everyting come to halt in the mide ofthe fourteenth fentury. The linkage between Venze andthe eastern trading 95 tem continent the later pat ofthe foartent and treaphoxt the filenth centres. But instead of becoming more and more ‘elclted, the stem simplified oa few arto paths over which {smaller numberof "payers” ad Increasing como. Thus, tis ‘aly an spparent contradiction to sote that many pats of the European’ Middle Easter subsjstems atuopied at the same time tat Venice aod Caio continued and even expanded dhe com ner connetins. They increased thet “marketshare” over ‘what was temporal a snaller wok. “The Mid-Century Depression ‘Using he ties of Venice and Genoa s examples there are sever trays to tack theeffetsof the beightened trade that characterized thelist hal of he fourteenth century and the economic else tat followed the Buboole Pag of mi century. One of these is ‘erly poplin. In 1200, Before her peril expansion, Veo Jze's population stood at about 8,00. BY 1300, the population tad doabed, with 120,00 within the city and ante 4,000 in the rest of the lagoon are. A bowe-to-howse count of mal adults inthe city. maden 138 suggests tat thi represented an apogee that war sotnned unl the plague years (Lane, 17318). Genoas Dopslaton peaked somevateaber around the turn ofthe ee {ar at bout 100,00 (Kedar, 176: 5), but even she continued to Ald sabato he envione throughout the fist decades of the fourteenth ceatry (Hyde, 1973: 11). Monica, it was Venice and Genoa's imperial outreach thproved their undoing. The Buboni Plague came to aly from ata, the tang postin the Crimes wed by both cies; there, the Mongol troops besieging the ety hd fallen prey to a vrlent «epidemie. The Gease was then tansnited to Europe by sas hoard a Venetian galley that reached home por in the ll of 147. The results were catastrophic, Suet he tee te ofthe iat Vesce id wt te ‘18 moos... Thee plage ien cnt allowed 148 {180 the opion fot Venice] wa abut the same Se had ‘en wo hadted us ere (Lane, 19319) (Gea0e sured simi fat. By 1350 her population was only out 60 percent of what tad been in 1341 (Reda, 19763) and seve i recover fly. ‘Kedar (1976: 16) developed numberof ingenious indicators to trace the diferent fats of Veni and Geos though the ‘jes of goo and har times and the poplague recovery. One indcator as physical changes ia the port facts. In Venice, work onthe waterfront was finaly completed in 1526, after which ‘to farther improvements were mie unl 141. Tn ition, the State Arsenal, begun ia 1105, wasted inst io 103 and exe Panded spain in 1325 fer which no exponsions took place unt 113. The pattern for Genoa was sina although the aateeath- cury revival noted in Venice's prt talon i norpaatled in Genoa, which had by then, given up er pretensions o marine dominance, Gena'shatbor, the "Male," ws sbstantaly length ened in 1300 and again in 138, bt afer that no changes mete ‘made uni 1451, "Ths, in both Venice an Geno, the extension ‘ofthe main por facies came toa sop about 1325, and was ‘resumed ony in the following century. The viru standstil in the development of the harbors ofthe to sts suze sg atin n marine ade" (Keds, 1976: 16), "The second indicator Kedar (1976: 17) ued was te declining siz ofthe convoys of merchant galley evi the Venetian pot "nthe 12304, eight to ten alleys alle to Romania and the Black ‘Sea evry year; between 1573 and 140, there were convoys of ‘onl two oF thee galleys... [T]he roduion nthe size o the convoys mst be regarded «rudimentary indstion of eon ‘tation of maritime trade." Although the drop wis dramatic ‘Te Merchant Mariners of Genoa ond Venice 137 and nen share fo Genoa tha fo Venison ft that td ley tam fore the aia ofthe ple, ich pve a the cpio explanation accom Tot Say npn othe sci Hy sper sy ht he Black Deth “wa preceded in sumo iy tof eer mires of vrs Kins we Sous tt conching ws soy reg hts economy {ge 7: 1). In iy sono Sse began the coo Ape wih poor op nd th ped prey hey ba ‘Ranta mma nce Communal expended thes thr apyred tem pst nthe 1 and Ir the pubic Sx of lon sync pew ay tph and lot tee enon, Tits may par hve en the facto nding he Serpico several ofthe mom ingot an etkng Tower Femi 5 and bard (alee sempnyen nao idee th aval the paw ee 1973 11-16), Bat hold tented thn hee te al Pane fn ene nd Gene rach cei arc ad stor pened "Aste arf mich deine as Sea ted the po- ise conan that by the 140 led romber of aan hy Sato moe ors Sbndon the cl som la by mer ‘Snare in fever of more hol aly» we, inthe cae of Gener eco, aderte paca Genes (ar aly eae te opto o peopl and the gars or "edn ctor town fd, Hy deplore hs edn htt ented “The Flr of he Ropar (197 21-29) Bet Way tenting ok slot ace fed on he Hil towns Genon and Venke we omen yt bane Other chp tee metal sachet fo Ven ‘een ar vse con between Ganon fod Wen ‘tng be vet ceo Veni of “ine pinemmen {amin Geno's even eoge onthe rp nd Sti of her waring "i ies Tow pte rece, owed ava nie. esr ies fo stots ‘Sco nr clays to sono ha adalat ‘Siler wen so nas een move svc than Ve bet Serer rade and ante aba en the mor grou Slate Koda (976),athoughaeping he ral sees, poses‘more complex question. His book beyins with the sumption that pateras of behavior tat serve well during Ges of expanding prosperity may e les functional when a conteacton our. He therefore examines the responses of Genoese and Venetian mer ‘chant dering the “Great Depression” of the second hal ofthe fourteenth onary ose why Venice survived te clleng, going fon to monopolize what war let of the ctr trae, whereas ‘Gena di ot. Hs anal focuses onthe eiferet entrepreneur led styls ofthe merchants ofeach ty and onthe degre to which ‘merchants ould or could ot count on the sate to support thet ‘entree and cover thee wks. He suggest that indialsc {Genoa was poorly posioned 10 mobilize commual wealth to ‘eat a safety net forts merchants, whereas the satin Venice had always provided subiies and insurance to fs merchanis troup the provision of olective goods—wheher pots, ves, ‘rdefesive arms. Ths, state "soi or the “wel sate tied Venice over the shoals of depopulation and econ coa- tmcton on which Genos foundered ‘But hese explanations Seem f eave out the kind of intern ional factors we have tied 0 trace ere. Gene's nara ze ‘of dominance had always been the western Mediterranean nd Ince the Atlante. Her "aptored” zone of dominance was the norher tea of Asa Mipor™~Consantinple, the Black Set nd the overland route through Central Aus. Nether of these advan tapcous outs was as useful er daring the second hal ofthe foartenth century, The Portuguese and Castilian Spanish were better situated on the Ant elf and therefore ds not have to ‘ated directly nth the last remnants of Ms power south ‘em Spain. They began to challenge Genoa hegemony the "North Sea. And, we sal exlin in Part I, the northern route across Asia was inresingly disrupted st the Mongl empire, ‘which had been so remarkably une inthe thirteenth centr) {nd therefore so receptive to tani ade, underwent son snd Fragmentation Tamerlane woe not Genghis Khan ‘Geno's fare to reaver from the Black Death and her even tual naval detest atthe hand of Venice, tn 1578-13 and hen Sina er 140, must ave een the renal of heron weakness asimich as Venice's strength. She was lxing her commercial em ‘he Merchant Morne of Geoae and Venice 129, pire ctr to other Earopcen competitor orto Central Asan ‘rene far beyond her conto In ontst, Venice's "bet on the Souther sa route proved s fortunate onc. As we shall se, her teste trade continued via Egypt and the Red Sea up tthe pening decades of the sntenth century, sustaining the old ‘Mveont-entury word stem ona narrow tread ntl the tap ‘iy would be fewoven ina iferent pattern in the sixteenth cy. ‘Lessons from Genoa and Venice “Tere are several sou o importance nan international system, ‘The role of tad fair ste sone, well ilsrted by Troyes and Provins. A specially protected entrepot, a which Waders rom a ‘rity of pots can some together under auspicious conditions To exchange goods, roe of etait raver intrusions and low cst alway potenti sgieaace, particulary when such freedom of trae fated by a lack of monetary testis. Sngspore and Hong Koag today, ao less than the Champagne fairs of the thiteenth century, occupy such niches. The survival ‘ofa otrepst however, rogues atthe minimum the continued “rainy of surplus generated elsewhere, the contndel com- porative advantage obtained through low uansport css aad low Protection rent, aod the exstece of motivated midlemen, either [eel or foreign, who gia ore tom its use thn they could by sng eewhere “Ascond oat o atematinal importance isto become a pow- crflnduntial reducer whose goods ae so desied that merchants ‘il ome from a vatity of foreign pices to moke advantageous Purchase, bringing with hem whatever ean be exchanged forthe {ode produced Icy. The tere tows of Pander, and par tela the port through whic heir goods were exported, Bruges, irate thi second functional nice, The requisites for contines prosperity scl the ably to prodee a enigue good, which of ume requifessesued splice of raw material and talented ot, and sufcient outlet for dstrbuton. The avalaity ofbo su moran sere, surpls capital for selavestment and technologies improvements in prodocton are eseaal, although secondary, othe existence cof eustomers with money t spend ‘A third route that of the commercial shipper, whose ce role 4s 5 middleman or jobber, anterriag gods from where they fr prodscel and plentifal io where market fo the ext. Par ‘eaarly when combined with besious exert ad the capacity to accumulate, invest, and exchange money and eet, th Tle ‘ers secu iche~as longa the proces continue o produce land the buyers coaiaue to buy. And 38 long the router of ‘tansportation ate taersble aed the fey of gods can best sured without unduly high protetion eat, those who captre the hippe-jober oe tend to persist int. Genos and Venice, whose fconomis bie remninod thet ofthe trading sate utrte ths ‘hz rate. Changs in ll thete factors eventually altered the ‘market situation ofboth snd ndermined that of Genoa, “Aihough the immediate nd direct effect of the Blac Death 2st wipe out age proportions ofthe population ofboth Gena tnd Venice, the long-term and inde ets were probably more Simiant Inthe core cles, ae the fst effec wandering binds searching te countryside for safety and sistenanee—had ‘wor of the lost papuition warsoen replace, alt not ently, ty tmmigation trom the coentrysie. Depopaition in mote pe sipheral aress, however, coud nota exaly Be made up. Artur {oagicltural sets bythe smaller population td sn eso ‘anying contraction in industrial production redaced the supe “vallable for exchange; athe same tine, in spt ofan improve men in wage levels, the smaller population meant drop in total ‘demand. Ths, the volume of rade deceased nd cites that played the roe of middleman obviously were affected most "Theis ist eespose was 1 intensify competion for larger sare ofthe stller market. The death stage between Genoa fad Venice escalated, and with i, what might be cle the cote ‘of "protective seat” (McNeil, 1972). More and more ofthe ext= ‘ying capacities of ships had tbe gven over to ams and fighters, which ied the cist of transportation. Siar, ships and cat- oes an pester rks of capare or derration, whit io falsed {he ulimate cost of getting ods to port. It wasnt unl Venice ‘vablshed a vital monopoly over the Mediterranean routes that ‘The Merchant Marines of Geos and Venice 131 rade once again became more sere. That monopoly wat all the moc important Beer trative routes tothe Oxent were ex prviesing Blockages ‘Although those changes wil be examined i etal Pat Ht is important to note here that i was the aby of the Ttalan fmancr states (0 determine what would happen in regions fat ‘yond hei contol that ulimatl aborted her bi forkegemony ‘ver world sjtem that ad formed but then dissolved. "The Strength ofthe Mamluk state blocked direct tla expansion ito {he Indan Ocean via the Red Se and Venice was therefore never tiie to daplace Midle Eater merchant ftermedaries to de- ‘elop diet commercial ink tothe Orient. The only way she ‘ould have done this was to deepen the aces paths across the Cental Asi find mass. But ths was nt only more expensive {Gamport by land being some twenty tines more cosy than Dy ea) but proved a the ast anal, inpossibie. The beak up of the pax mongol, sre than anyhig else, preveted the fll reliclation af a world system that cedsoon ater wasbor. We ‘ove now to tht part ofthe story, Notes ss et cay ca ne ag 2 et apne ety lo isl ‘e's for eo Re 10% sows med aus un do ss lo Wen ht eodr mea jugs ete precy yes rl thon daped emo at ey pane mapas moran. My pte ean ‘"Eutcaen xt space pcs ey sett mt ae, bat cn capa, Er ram hy Tem rth wera mbt ‘Steps er spac herb ee sud an ert yer ‘Bet ee Pr Ser tens pes forming eeepc" Le Mae ae (95s herTe Nate! Tow (93 pi. SP attnng we Hen Renn 1.4 OF a) as eo ‘Samhita tas ped at Non lg‘The Merchant Mains of Genoa and Venice 188 te erence Gaetan as SALSSP Litrato Sah ae TF aime sone atlas apparent dot thi, te leading sutority on oe one Senge tus Se ‘hymen 290) Herts er mn the mat ee Grete maa seers egos orth Sie morigersman Siler meee ‘Navigazione « Care Nawiche el sealo XIN-XVI, the catalog for the Naval er comets Imm ean sem maa 2 et ene te ete a ‘rue labo Neda wih eomin,. im goer sad ‘tach iy but rhein ct ae nd, Sit wey ‘Boing tn tun an wh a dsm) spe, ‘eee ces it, pm 20 er lf” ee, [BOC Gago ey yet ages es ater they open em, 0) Sta pr rey Sewn nen The Cari Eso ‘nah os nan erin py Cet | ncn a Casinos by aes oe a Se popu far ths Age Nei Sadr heed Matin Cron Twat snd asec Cee. ‘ln Tha eth wad of contemporary cha, aah i Mah sect Msi 9. “eStore (0 rata gn ape ‘ted eed eo pe py. 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