The Byzantine and Greek merchant maritime enterprises in the medieval Mediterranean

Summary

ABSTRACT. Despite the disdain shown by the aristocracy of the Byzantine empire towards maritime activities, these did develop, slowly between the 4^th and 11^th centuries, then more strongly between the 11^th and 15^th centuries, thanks to the privileges granted to Western merchants who carried the Greeks along in their wake. For the latter, these activities remained limited to regional traffic carried out by medium tonnage ships, as the Westerners held a monopoly on international traffic.

RÉSUMÉ. En dépit du mépris affiché par l'aristocratie et l'empire Byzantine envers les activités maritimes, celles-ci se sont développées, faiblement entre les IV^e et XI^e siècles, plus fortement entre les XII^e et XV^e siècles, grâce aux privilèges accordés aux marchands occidentaux entraînant les Grecs dans leur sillage. Mais ces activités restent, pour les Grecs, limitées au trafic régional, effectué par des navires de moyen tonnage, les Occidentaux ayant le monopole du trafic international.

The exploitation of the surface and sub-surface of the sea was for the Byzantines a source of prosperity, wealth and life, while simultaneously offering artistic inspiration and symbolism in a religious context. Mediterranean water passages acted as channels through which to communicate and transfer ideas as well as unify a disparate empire and ensure safe maritime voyages within its borders.

Despite the clear relationship between the Byzantines and the maritime element, best reflected in the Naval Law of Rhodes, the admirable codification of shipping customs and practices of the 7^th century which regulated matters pertaining to the management of shipping enterprise, surviving literature on Byzantine merchant shipping cannot boast a great many studies, contrary to material available on the empire's military fleet.

TARGETS

The following paper aims to provide a series of answers to issues concerning maritime enterprise in the Byzantine Empire and its impact on the prosperity and well being of its population. It focuses on state policies concerning trade and shipping, on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the Byzantine fleet and on the political, social and economic status of members of the shipping enterprise (captain, crew, merchants, passengers, but also persons not traveling with the ship but investing money or commodities, such as money-changers, landowners, etc.).