Why did the europeans embark on an Age of Exploration in the mid-late 1400s? what were their motivations?

Have you never heard of the SPICE TRADE and the SILK ROAD.. The overland routes were controled and heavily taxed by the people who controled them.. so the Europesn set out to find SEA ROUTES to the orient. so they could import directly and byp the bandits who charged outrageous tariffs for crossing their lands.