We’re in the middle of the story of how little Venice got to be powerful Venice. If you’ve been following along, you may recall that in the 13th century, the Venetians were in a very interesting position. Venice, thanks to tax-free trade and its perfect location between East and West, was prospering mightily. But their sweet deal was in jeopardy.
1,000 Years Ago…
Let’s go back to the year 1201. Alexandria, Egypt was the center of the Muslim world. It was also a primary source of goods coming from the East. Venice and Alexandria were strategic business partners.
European Christians were planning the 4th Crusade. Their plan was to invade Alexandria, then move east until they took back Jerusalem. In order to get to Egypt, they’d contracted with Venice to provide 50 warships in one years’ time. Venice’s already-famous shipyard, called the Arsenale, could handle the task. But if the Crusaders succeeded, Venice’s trading arrangement with Alexandria would be kaput.
Venice couldn’t pass up the lucrative ship-building contract with the Crusaders, but what about their business partners? The Venetian Doge, in secret, told Alexandria not to worry. Venice would make sure the Crusaders never see the harbor at Alexandria. Hmmm…
Meanwhile in Constantinople, as noted last time, it wasn’t just Turkish coffee that was brewing. Trouble was brewing, too. Constantine was long gone, and so was the strength of his Byzantine Empire.
In an internal power struggle, the reigning Byzantine leader had been ousted. His son, Alexius, took flight to Venice, where he plotted his return to take the throne in Constantinople. Could the Venetians help him? Sure they could!
Crusaders Show Up in Venice
A year passed. In June, 1202, the Crusaders showed up with just half the number of men expected, and only enough ducats to pay half the bill. That was going to be a problem.
The Venetian Doge told the Europeans “No deal.” The conversation may have gone something like this…
Doge — “You brought the ducats as we discussed?”
Lead Crusader Dude — “Well, you know, er, uh… things up north are kinda tight these days. Things aren’t easy you know… We have only half the number of ducats that we agreed to.”
Doge — “What!? Half!? That’s not gonna fly. You’ll provide each and every ducat per our agreement, and that’s that.”
Lead Crusader Dude — “The weather’s been terrible up north. The harvest was meager, and the serfs get lazier every year.”
Doge — “Next you’re going to tell me that the dog ate your homework. Enough already! The whole deal is kaput. We’ll find another buyer for the ships.”
Lead Crusader Dude — “Ah, c’mon… You’ll still get one ducat for every two you were expecting. And that’s a lotta ducats.”
Doge — “No way. I’ll tell you something, and it’s something you’d do well to always remember… Ducats are better than one!”
Who knew the Doge was a punster?
OK. Not all historical scholars will report the conversation exactly this way. Some liberties may have been taken here. (Ahem!) But the outcome is the same.
Eventually, the Venetians and the Crusaders worked out a deal.
I Have for You Such a Deal
Venice’s trade depended on ships passing through the Adriatic Sea. They had to sail past the seaport city of Zara. Pirates who made their home in Zara had been wreaking havoc on ships trading with Venice for years.
The Doge proposed that the Crusaders attack and sack the city of Zara. Zara was on the way to Egypt, and sacking it would be a piece of cake. If they agreed to sack Zara, the Venetians would forgive the Crusaders their debt and provide them with the ships they needed.
The deal was struck. The Crusaders sailed from Venice, headed for Zara. They sacked Zara and had a grand old time. Taking Zara was easy, just like the Venetians said it would be. The Venetians had not steered them wrong.
So far, so good. But by the time the Crusaders had finished sacking Zara, they were exhausted. (Everyone thinks sacking is so easy, but it’s harder than it looks).
Winter was coming. The Crusaders were tired, and probably hung over. They decided to spend the winter in Zara. I’m sure that decision didn’t go over very well with the locals, but when you’re the sackee, you don’t have a lot of say in these matters.
While the Crusaders rested up in Zara, the Doge and the Venetian leaders worked out the details of their next move.
To be continued…
Note
Photo showing the gates to the Venice Arsenale. Credit: Sergey Ashmarin/Wikimedia Commons
