Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/393

 THE ITALIAN CITIES 343 which lies halfway between the mainland and the Adriatic beach of the outer islands of the lagoon. With this change the definite settlement of Venice proper and its life as a town may be said to have begun. In the early ninth century, too, tradition tells us, the Venetians brought the body of their patron, St. Mark, from Alexandria. The relations at this period between Venice and the Byzantine Empire were close. Many of the doges visited Constantinople to receive confirmation in their R e i at i ons office and further Byzantine titles, or sent their with Con- sons thither to be educated or to be recognized as the future rulers of Venice. Also the Venetians were grantedLtrading privileg es at Constantinop le in_return for services jyhi ch their shi ps reiidereoLinLjtrans porting troop s an d in n a val battles. In 991, for instance, they were granted unusually low tariff rates and an expeditious settlement of their lawsuits at Constantinople. In 1085, as a reward for their aid to the Emperor Alexius against the Normans of southern Italy and Sicily, they were granted a quarter of their own in Constantinople and were freed from customs duties in all ports of the Byzantine Empire. At the same time all merchants from Amalfi at Constantinople were sub* jected to a tax for the building of a new church of St. Mark at Venice. This measure marked the passing of Amalfi as a great trading city; but Genoa and Pisa were now powerful rivals of Venice for the Mediterranean trade. Meanwhile the internal constitution of Venice had been changing from the simple leadership of the doge to more complicated forms. In 1032 the doge was for- constitu- bidden to associate his son with himself in office tional and was henceforth to be advised by two ducal councilors and a senate. In 1171 the government took a forced loan from its citizens, but gave them bonds in return upon which four per cent interest was paid yearly — an early instance of a public debt. The following year the ducal councilors were increased in number to six and an in- directly elected and aristocratic assembly of four hundred and eighty members was added to the previous senate. The