A World in a Book

摘要

Michael of Rhodes might-or might not-have been unusual in fifteenth-century Venice but he is undoubtedly unique in the modern world. He might-or might not-have been a Greek from Rhodes but he undoubtedly found his fortune in the maritime bustle of a Venice that had not yet quite lost its status as a first-class economic power. His career certainly appears remarkable to modern eyes. He began as a common rower on a Venetian galley in 1401 (contrary to popular conception, the use of slaves to row galleys did not become common until much later).