THE EVOLUTION OF COMMERCE. 649 
Venice and Genoa.—Atter 500 years of empire Rome fell, and the 
dark ages followed. From A. p. 400 to A. Dp. 800 commerce and 
trade died out. The only vessels on the Mediterranean and Baltie 
were piratical crafts; Jerusalem and the Holy Land were captured by 
the Turks; the Crusades began, forerunners of a higher civilization and 
more extended commerce. Thousands and tens of thousands of people 
from all parts of Europe and all ranks of life, bearing the pilgrim’s 
badge—the blood-red cross—journeyed toward the Holy Land, first in 
vast crowds led by Peter the Hermit, then in great armies led by kings 
and generals. For years this movement continued. Venice and 
Genoa furnished ships to carry the armies of France from Italy 
to the Holy Land. The Venetians were shrewd merchants and drove 
hard bargains, stipulating for cessions of land at the best eom- 
mercial points and adequate compensation for their services. After 
the failure of each Crusade they brought back remnants of the troops 
and pilgrims, and with them the products of Asia Minor, and books 
and art treasures from Greece. These were distributed all over Italy, 
and led to the renaissance of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. 
The trade with the east brought power and wealth to Venice and 
Genoa. They founded colonies on the Black Sea, in Asia Minor, and 
on the Asiatic coast. Venice alone had 3,000 vessels. Their com- 
merce was not confined to the borders of the Mediterranean, for the 
goods of the Orient were distributed by the way of Augsburg and 
Nuremberg to the interior of Germany and to the towns of the 
Hanseatic confederation. Thus commerce was opened with the in- 
terior of Europe. 
By the failure of the Crusades the power of the Turks, which had 
been for some time checked, grew and increased. They conquered the 
holy places of the earth, Asia Minor and Syria, and finally, crossing 
into Europe, gained Constantinople. The colonies of Venice and Genoa 
were captured; their fleets disappeared from the Mediterranean. In 
western Europe the Spaniards under Ferdinand and Isabella con- 
quered the Moors, who for many ages had occupied the larger portion 
of Spain; and as the Crescent appeared in eastern Kurope the Cross 
triumphed in the west. 
Spain and Portugal—Then a new power appeared upon the stage. 
Spain and Portugal entered upon an era of exploration and discovery 
in regions unknown to Venice and Genoa, Commerce, which in the 
middle ages had been confined to the Mediterranean Sea, was now ex- 
tended to the countries on the Atlantic Ocean, and the Cape Verde 
Islands, Madeira, and the Canaries were discovered. In one genera- 
tion (between 1470 and 1500 A. D.) more and greater discoveries were 
made than in any other period of the world’s history. The Portuguese 
sailed along the eastern coast of Africa and rounded the Cape of Good 
Hope; Vasco de Gama crossed the Indian Ocean to India; Columbus 
