Second, the cities of Venice and Genoa got stinking rich from trade. Genoa turned out a fair number of top-notch sailors, like, for instance, Christopher Columbus, but the Venetians became the richest city-state of all. As you'll remember from the Crusades, the Venetians were expert sailors, shipbuilders, and merchants, and as you'll remember from our discussions of Indian Ocean trade, they also had figured out ways to trade with Islamic empires, including the biggest economic power in the region, the Ottomans. Without trading with the Islamic world, especially in Pepper, Venice couldn't have afforded all those painters, nor would they have had money to pay for the incredibly fancy clothes they put on to pose for their fancy portraits. The clothes, the paint, the painters, enough food to get a double chin, all of that was paid for with money from trade with the Ottomans. I know I talk a lot about trade, but that's because it's so incredibly awesome, and it really does bind the world together. And while trade can lead to conflicts, on balance, it has been responsible for more peaceful contacts than violent ones, because, you know, death is bad for business.