The Roman Empire: October 49 BC-May 1453 AD: : Economic Reflections on the Fall of Constantinople: "May 29 marks the anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
...Thinking of... what is called (somewhat inaccurately) the Eastern Roman Empire, led me to two, I hope interesting, observations.... The second observation has to do with trade and war... trading city-states like Venice and Genoa. If you believe that trade is all about peace there would be no reason why these city-states had to maintain large naval fleets, fight battles, conquer islands, negotiate, under military threat, special rights to tariff-free imports and exports. Trade, debt and the army always moved together. No tourist to any Greek island today will fail to observe large Venetian and Genoan fortresses that could not have been built without money and labor but also without a naval presence that allowed the control or conquest of the islands in the first place...
#shouldread
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