The first Mediterranean maritime commercial giants, were the Phoenicians from Lebanon/Canaan, with Tyre and Chartago as main ports. They had a trade network to West Africa, Britain (and the America's).
Alexander the great and the Romans fought the Phoenicians and won.
The Phoenicians moved, concentrated north in the Byzantium empire and became the Venetians in the 12th century.
The biggest rival of the Venetians was Genova.
They rivaled in the spice trade, silk, gem stones, gold and silver etc. from India, Indonesia and China.
Setting up Banking (Rialto), intelligence agencies/ spies, diplomatic ties and cutting out the middle man (example Marco polo).
Making huge profits which were invested in art and architecture.
It is an assumption that Venice got a secret supply of gold and silver from the America's to support the banking system and bullion trade.
But Genova (Colombus) got ahead!........ after legally negotiating the lands of the America's with the pope (una sanctum) and the king of Spain and Portugal before he went!
Plus Portugal cut out the middle man by sailing directly to Asia.
So Venice got too expensive and badly located in this new world trade situation.
In order to counter this Genovese move, Venice moved northwards again and intermarried with German nobility.
(In)directly setting up German banking (Fuggers and later Rothschilds).
Concentrating in Bruges, Antwerp and finally Amsterdam in the 15th, 16th and 17th century, named the "Venice of the north".
Rebelling against Spain and Portugal which the Dutch won despite all the Spanish gold and silver from the America's.
How did the Venetians succeeded to do this, by setting up companies like the Dutch East and West Indian Company to regulate world maritime trade.
The Venetians moved to London with the Dutch/English king, setting up the first real central bank.
In the aftermath of the Napoleon war, they lost their power to the Rothschild family.
The Rothschild kartel created the British, America corporate empires to date and are behind the corporate success of China.
So Genova had the upper hand but the Venetians won in the end in order to lose it to the Rothschilds kartel.
What do you think?