ABSTRACT
Among the goods arriving at the quay in Amsterdam were spices from Venice. Over the course of the 15th century, the incentives for acquiring spices ever-closer to the European source in Venice drove fortunes and competition. For a time, pepper and spices became a status symbol within reach of a widening segment of society as merchants competed to bring it to markets throughout Europe. Despite the lower prices, a European "Age of Discovery" driven by fantasies of a spice monopoly sent spies and ships over the horizon with brutal ferocity. The European demand for spices increased sharply around the time of Lisbon's emergence as a supplier. About three-quarters of Europe's spices entered Lisbon's harbor under the protection of the Tower of Belem, a massive bastion with 17 guns. Physically present for the buying and selling of spices were a group of gentlemen who recalled the days in Antwerp when Portuguese ships offloaded great volumes of pepper and other spices.
