80 chapter three
fact that the decision to join the war, risky in any circumstances, was
taken by eminently experienced statesmen who nevertheless overlooked
the most basic part of any alliance, namely whether their partner was
actually able to fulfil his obligations. as it was, the ilkhan argun was beset
by numerous internal problems and by renewed war with the Jochids, and
would never have been able to honor his military promises.89
since time was against the genoese, the senate did not wait for a more
favorable conjunction of circumstances, and invested the famous admiral
Benedetto Zaccaria with full powers to act for the republic in the east. he
left the city on 10th June 1288.90
his primary objective in the mission was to free the final stretch of the
silk road from mamluk rule. the means chosen to force the sultan to
relinquish cilician armenia was a naval blockade of egypt.
for the mamluk state, the prospect of having their commercial routes
cut off was indeed a mortal threat.91 this had been a fundamental idea in
crusader strategy, but had thus far had no perceptible effect, because the
great maritime powers of italy had never been sufficiently engaged.92 now
it became a reality, in outline at least, when the admiral disembarked at
tripoli and occupied the city.93
89 spuler, Mongolen, pp. 70–75.
90 cf. doria/imperiale di sant’angelo, 89–90, caro, Genua, ii, pp. 120–133 (chapter
‘ Benedictus Zacharias und der fall von tripolis’), lopez, Genova, pp. 131–160 (chapter ‘la
sfida all’egitto’), ciocîltan, “genoa,” pp. 292–297.
91 cf., inter alii, sanudo/Bongars, p. 23: Per magnam vero commoditatem nauigii siue
dextrum, quam vel quod habent Saraceni, maior pars speciariae & aliorum mercimoniorum,
quae ab India conducuntur ad Occidens, ad ista parte in Alexandriam conducuntur: de qui-
bus percepit Soldanus in diuersis locis, tantum de thelloneo quod tertium valoris omnium spe-
cierum aerarium suum intrat, propter quod thesaurizat, praeter immensam vtilitatem quam
mercatores & populi sui exinde consequuntur; adam/Kohler, p. 523: In Alexandria Egipti
[.. .] tanta habundancia habeatur, ut, pro parvo precio et quasi pro nichilo, habeantur.
92 heidelberger, Kreuzzugsversuche, passim.
93 a cypriot chronicler (Gestes/raynaud, p. 234) records the significance of the event:
Il avint ainsi, quant les Jenevés furent venus a Triple, car vos avez oy, II persons monterent
d’Alixandre au soudan [.. .] et parlerent au soudan, et il monstrerent comme Triple par elle
sans les Jenevés armereit ligierement de X a XII leins, et ores que Jenevés l’ont a lor main, ils en
armeront XXX car les Jeneveus de toutes pars veront à Triple et s’ils ont Triple, ils seront sei-
gnors de ses aigues et convera que siaus quy veront an Alyssandre seront à lor mercy, allant
et venant, et dedans le port, la quel choze tourne à grand péril des marchands, quy huzent
en vostre royaume; caro, Genua, ii, p. 127: “der ausschließliche Besitz von tripolis würde
die genuesen befähigt haben, mittels flotten, die sie daselbst aufstellten, das südostbek-
ken des mittelmeeres zu beherrschen, sie hätten die nach alexandria fahrenden schiffe
abfangen, also den handelsverkehr mit Ägypten beliebig unterbrechen, beziehungsweise
nach tripolis ablenken können.” cf. also prawer, Histoire, ii, pp. 534–535, papacostea,
“gênes,” p. 218, ciocîltan, “genoa,” pp. 292–293. as ehrenkreutz, “implications,” pp. 339–
340, remarks, genoese designs in the region had been even more aggressive in the first