The previous post was meant to conclude CHAPTER II. However, I ovelooked a hand-written note on "'...the Genoese War...'" (p. 44) This conflict is described as "Venetian-Genoese wars" on Wikipedia. See here. The image shows Genoa.
On the opening page of CHAPTER III, the narrative leaves Constantinople:
"The Venetian merchant skippers...rounded Europa Point (?) and stood out to the Marmora..." (p. 54)
The Thracian hills are to starboard. Smokes indicates a possible Catalan raid. Djansha remembers traveling from Azov to Constantinople.
That is a single page but we have made a start on rereading a new chapter.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And of course the Republic of Genoa was the great rival and enemy of the Republic of Venice! Genoa tended to ally with the Byzantines because the latter hated the Venetians. So it's no surprise Genoa and Venice often fought each other.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Rival Mediterranean powers were Rome and Carthage and later Venice and Genoa.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Indeed! Genoa and Venice fought at least four major wars with each other, along with many clashes and mutual piracy of each other's shipping.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
By reading slowly and googling every reference, it is possible to learn a lot.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, and I've thought the same of S.M. Stirling's works.
Ad astra! Seam
One thing Poul brings out is how tightly regulated and communal commerce had to be in a lawless environment like that. The same comes out in CORRIDORS OF TIME, where the 20th-century hero tries to pass himself off as a merchant but is tripped up by the fact that has no letters identifying him, or written license to trade in a chartered town. One of the guards who arrests him says that he seemed to believe tyhe (Danish, Renaissance-era) town was like some village of New World savages.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I forgot about that! It was in early 1500's Denmark, I think. And matters were also esp. tense in Denmark at that time due to unsettled political conditions due to the deposition of Christian II by Frederick I. And by the latter king imposing Protestantism on the country, which did not sit well with those Danes who wanted to remain Catholic.
Ad astra! Sean
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