That Most Precious Merchandise

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The Black Sea has a long history as a source of Mediterranean slaves, from ancient Greek colonies to modern human trafficking. During the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, the Black Sea slave trade was significant, although not the only source of slaves; merchants from Genoa, Venice, and Egypt also acquired captives from conflicts across North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, and the Aegean Sea. The trade in Black Sea slaves was profitable, providing merchants with wealth and status, states with military personnel and tax income, and households with servants. Despite the central roles of Genoa, Venice, and the Mamluk sultanate, their interconnectedness has been underexplored. By examining Latin and Arabic sources, Hannah Barker reveals a shared culture of slavery among Christian and Muslim Mediterranean inhabitants. The Genoese and Venetian involvement in the Mamluk trade led to retaliatory actions against Italian merchants and criticism from crusade proponents who urged commercial powers to weaken Islam. Through diverse sources, including notarial registers, tax records, and literary works, Barker illustrates the complex environment in which merchants operated and the fates of enslaved individuals.