• Trade in slaves and other commodities created links with coast towns
• Had growing interest in trade with eastern Mediterranean
• Seizure of Jerusalem opened commercial possibilities
  • Even before Crusaders reached city, had fleets out on the water
• After capture, Crusaders needed provisioning and links to Europe
• Terms were struck giving potential benefits in return for help
  • Venetians were promised rewards for siege of Acre in 1100
• When Caesarea was besieged in 1101, Geonese were ideally placed
• Agreements were signs of weakness for Crusaders, fortunes for city-states
• As early as 1099, conflicts between Pisans and Venetians over rewards
  • Forced Pisans to agree to never enter Byzantium for trade
• Venice’s economy was more developed and had no local competitor
  • Pisa and Genoa had rivalry which removed both at crucial moments
  • Played to Venice’s advantage in Field of Blood in 1119
• By twelfth century, were lucratively exploiting positions in east