The travels of marco polo sparknotes
The Travels of Marco Polo
by Marco Polo
THE LITERARY WORK
A travel narrative set primarily in China and Southeast Asia, spanning the years 1260 to 1295; first published in Franco-Italian (as Divisament du Monde: Description of the World) in 1299; in English in 1579.
SYNOPSIS
A Venetian merchant journeys to the Far East, enters the service of Kublai Khan of China, and describes the places he visits or hears of while he is away.
Events in History at the Time of the Travel Narrative
The Travel Narrative in Focus
For More Information
Born in 1254 in Venice, Italy, Marco Polo was the son of a prosperous merchant family’s. At the age of 17, young Marco accompanied his father, Nicolo, and his uncle, Maffeo, on a three-year journey to China that took the travelers through Persia, Afghanistan, and other countries. In 1275 the three Polos were warmly received at the imperial court of the Mongol warlord Kublai Khan in China. Marco, in particular, became a favorite with the Great Khan, who employed the young man on public missions that sent him to various parts of the empire. The Polos remained in China 17 years. Returning to Venice in 1295, they resumed their business as merchants there. In 1298 Marco Polo became involved in a sea battle between the rival Venetian and Genoese fleets; the Venetians suffered defeat and Marco was taken prisoner. While captive, he dictated the stories of his travels to Rustigielo, a fellow prisoner and a scribe from Pisa. Divisament du Monde, more familiarly known to Western readers as The Travels of Marco Polo, circulated after Marco’s release in 1299 and became an instant success. Impressing even those who doubted its veracity, the travel narrative charmed believers and skeptics alike with its detailed accounts of life in the Far East.
Events in History at the Time of the Travel Narrative
The rise of Venice
Although Polo’s contemporaries sometimes referred to him as “Marco the Venetian,” he writes little of his native V
Book 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Book 1, Chapter 1 Summary: “Armenia Minor and the Port of Layas”
The narrative turns into a travelogue, with descriptions of various places that Marco Polo visited. In some cases, he has opinions about the people therein. Of the people of Lesser Armenia, he has this to say: “In former times its gentry were esteemed expert and brave soldiers; but at the present day they are great drinkers, mean-spirited, and worthless” (740-41). Of particular interest to Marco, whose father and brother were both merchants, is Layas, a port. Marco names its strategic importance: “Those who plan to travel into the interior of the Levant usually start from this port” (743).
Book 1, Chapter 2 Summary: “Of the Province Called Turkomania”
Three classes of people live in this area. One, the Turkomans, Marco finds to be “a primitive people and dull of intellect” (749), although they also have “an excellent breed of horses” and “fine mules” (750). The Armenians and Greeks are the other two groups encountered and seem to have more to offer Polo:“the best and handsomest carpets in the world are woven here, and also silks of crimson and other rich colors” (752).
Book 1, Chapter 3 Summary: “Of Armenia Major, of the Mountain Where the Ark of Noah Rested, and of a Remarkable Fountain of Oil”
Polo states that this province “possesses the handsomest and most excellent baths of warm spring water found anywhere” (758-59). The most populous city is large enough to have an archbishop. In this province is also Mount Ararat, supposed resting place of Noah's Ark. Marco is fascinated by a fountain of oil found in what he calls Zorzania; this oil is used to cure rashes in people and animals. The oil has proved to be very popular as well as useful: “In the neighboring country no other fuel is used in lamps, and people come from distant parts to procure it” (772-73).
Book 1, Chapter 4 Summary: “Of the Province of Zorzania, the Pass Where Al Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Written in the 13th century, The Travels of Marco Polo details Italian explorer Marco Polo’s movements through Asia between 1271 and 1295. The book was co-written by Rustichello da Pisa, an Italian writer who met Polo while the two were in prison in Genoa, Italy. The text is comprised of a prologue and four subsequent books. Book 1 covers Polo’s travels on his way to China, with stops in the Middle East and Central Asia. Book 2 covers China, and especially the court of Kublai Khan. Book 3 focuses on coastal regions, including the east coast of Africa; Sri Lanka; Japan; and Southeast Asia. Book 4 focuses on Russia and the Mongols.
Niccolo Polo and Maffeo Polo, Marco’s father and uncle, respectively, are Venetian merchants who, naturally, spend a lot of time away from home. Venice at the time was a thriving city sometimes as war with its Italian neighbors, and always on the lookout for ways to expand economically and geographically. The Polos would have ventured forth to bring back goods and prestige to their beloved Venice.
They journey to the exotic East, through lands untamed and unknown, to China, to what many in Europe would consider the far end of the world. The journey is difficult and, at times, harrowing. They make it there and back again in part because of the protection of the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, in whose shadow their travels take place:
By virtue of this, the bearer, together with his whole suite, are safely conveyed and escorted from station to station by the governors of all places within the imperial dominions, and are entitled, during the time of their stay in any city, castle, town, or village, to a supply of provisions and everything necessary for their accommodation (589-92).
The events of the book take place in the 13th century, when Mongol hordes roamed Eurasia and conquered far and wide, ultimately building the greatest land empire the world has ever seen. Genghis Khan was the
Marco polo silk road The Travels of Marco Polo
13th-century travelogue
"The Travels" redirects here. For Ibn Battuta's work, see The Rihla. For the album by Molly Nilsson, see The Travels (album).
Book of the Marvels of the World (Italian: Il Milione, lit. 'The Million', possibly derived from Polo's nickname "Emilione"), in English commonly called The Travels of Marco Polo, is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa from stories told by Venetian explorer Marco Polo. It describes Polo's travels through Asia between 1271 and 1295, and his experiences at the court of Kublai Khan.
The book was written by romance writer Rustichello da Pisa, who worked from accounts which he had heard from Marco Polo when they were imprisoned together in Genoa. Rustichello wrote it in Franco-Venetian, a literary language widespread in northern Italy between the subalpine belt and the lower Po between the 13th and 15th centuries. It was originally known as Livre des Merveilles du Monde or Devisement du Monde ("Description of the World"). The book was translated into many European languages in Marco Polo's own lifetime, but the original manuscripts are now lost, and their reconstruction is a matter of textual criticism. A total of about 150 copies in various languages are known to exist, including in Old French,Tuscan, two versions in Venetian, and two different versions in Latin.
From the beginning, there has been incredulity over Polo's sometimes fabulous stories, as well as a scholarly debate in recent times. Some have questioned whether Marco had actually traveled to China or was just repeating stories that he had heard from other travelers. Economic historian Mark Elvin concludes that recent work "demonstrates by specific example the ultimately overwhelming probability of the broad authenticity" of Polo's account, and that the book is, "in essence, authentic, and, when used wit
Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Written in the 13th century, The Travels of Marco Polo details Italian explorer Marco Polo’s movements through Asia between 1271 and 1295. The book was co-written by Rustichello da Pisa, an Italian writer who met Polo while the two were in prison in Genoa, Italy. The text is comprised of a prologue and four subsequent books. Book 1 covers Polo’s travels on his way to China, with stops in the Middle East and Central Asia. Book 2 covers China, and especially the court of Kublai Khan. Book 3 focuses on coastal regions, including the east coast of Africa; Sri Lanka; Japan; and Southeast Asia. Book 4 focuses on Russia and the Mongols.
Niccolo Polo and Maffeo Polo, Marco’s father and uncle, respectively, are Venetian merchants who, naturally, spend a lot of time away from home. Venice at the time was a thriving city sometimes as war with its Italian neighbors, and always on the lookout for ways to expand economically and geographically. The Polos would have ventured forth to bring back goods and prestige to their beloved Venice.
They journey to the exotic East, through lands untamed and unknown, to China, to what many in Europe would consider the far end of the world. The journey is difficult and, at times, harrowing. They make it there and back again in part because of the protection of the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, in whose shadow their travels take place:
By virtue of this, the bearer, together with his whole suite, are safely conveyed and escorted from station to station by the governors of all places within the imperial dominions, and are entitled, during the time of their stay in any city, castle, town, or village, to a supply of provisions and everything necessary for their accommodation (589-92).
The events of the book take place in the 13th century, when Mongol hordes roamed Eurasia and conquered far and wide, ultimately building the greatest land empire the world has ever seen. Genghis Khan was the
The Travels of Marco Polo
13th-century travelogue
"The Travels" redirects here. For Ibn Battuta's work, see The Rihla. For the album by Molly Nilsson, see The Travels (album).
Book of the Marvels of the World (Italian: Il Milione, lit. 'The Million', possibly derived from Polo's nickname "Emilione"), in English commonly called The Travels of Marco Polo, is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa from stories told by Venetian explorer Marco Polo. It describes Polo's travels through Asia between 1271 and 1295, and his experiences at the court of Kublai Khan.
The book was written by romance writer Rustichello da Pisa, who worked from accounts which he had heard from Marco Polo when they were imprisoned together in Genoa. Rustichello wrote it in Franco-Venetian, a literary language widespread in northern Italy between the subalpine belt and the lower Po between the 13th and 15th centuries. It was originally known as Livre des Merveilles du Monde or Devisement du Monde ("Description of the World"). The book was translated into many European languages in Marco Polo's own lifetime, but the original manuscripts are now lost, and their reconstruction is a matter of textual criticism. A total of about 150 copies in various languages are known to exist, including in Old French,Tuscan, two versions in Venetian, and two different versions in Latin.
From the beginning, there has been incredulity over Polo's sometimes fabulous stories, as well as a scholarly debate in recent times. Some have questioned whether Marco had actually traveled to China or was just repeating stories that he had heard from other travelers. Economic historian Mark Elvin concludes that recent work "demonstrates by specific example the ultimately overwhelming probability of the broad authenticity" of Polo's account, and that the book is, "in essence, authentic, and, when used wit