Jan-Maat’s Reviews > De Middellandse Zee: De Samenleving en de Staat, deel #2 > Status Update

Braudel cites a 1940s book about Dante which argues that the legendary voyages of Saint Brenden are an Irish version of the voyages of sinbad the sailer.

I believe the manuscript history of St.Brenden stories predates the Sinbad tradition which complicates matters slightly...

The slow process of change and cultural adoption. Use of Arabic numerals forbidden in Florence-1299, likewise in Freiburg in 1520, used in Antwerp only from the end of the 16th century.

Spread of paper, Bagdad 794, 11th century Valencia and Greece, western europe from circa 1350

'Spanish' men's fashion that emerged 14th century stemmed from Siberia while the women's fashions from Cyprus came from Tang China

Braudel says that even now (ie 1960s) the lifestyle in Croatia, despite being mixed with many other influences, is like that in Italy, although of an Italy of long ago.

Here I would have liked some examples - which even the footnotes deny me.

Coffee arrived in Constantinople around 1550, in venice about 1580, it only reach France and England in the 17th century (Marseille- 1646)

The Ottoman Turks defeat the Mamluks by using artillery (the mamluks apparently thought it was a dishonourable weapon and so shunned it). Artillery was the basis Braudel notes for the success of France, Muscovy (against Kazan at least), and Spain against Granada.

At the end of the 14th century the Mediterranean belonged to the cities and the city states, larger states like the Byzantine empireand the kingdom of Aragón were the product of their large cities.
This situation changed completelyduring the 15th century

English Levant company between 1581 and 1592 was making profits of up to 300%; but in 1595 the company was operating 15 ships with a total crew of 790. Mainly sailing to Egypt, Cyprus, and the Aegean. Less often to Venice and Algiers.

Presumably mostly smaller vessels buying high value luxury goods - spices, carpets, silk

Importing grain from distant countries was a clear sign of overall prosperity, although it was catastrophic for the poor.

In Portugal grain was pushed out by vines and olive trees. Grain was increasingly imported from Flanders and the Baltic region - this trade was conducted by Bretons who sold the grain in Lisbon for gold.

Later the Bretons were also transporting grain to Galicia

There was bread for the poor and bread for the rich and only the latter was made from wheat.