Marvels of the World | Marco Polo
“I did not write half of what I saw, for I knew I would not be believed.”
- Marco Polo, on his deathbed in 1324
He stood in the palace, and its splendor drew his eyes upward. The roof was very lofty, and the walls of the Palace were covered with gold and silver. They were adorned with representations of dragons, beasts and birds, knights and idols, and sundry other subjects. And on the ceiling was nothing but gold and silver and painting. On each of the four sides, there was a great marble staircase leading to the top of the marble wall and forming the approach to the palace.
In all his travels, in all his conversations with uncountable people along the road he had never even heard of such a place. Its splendor overwhelmed him. It impressed upon him a message of majesty that would become the lens by which he would see the world. Its vastness was only overshadowed by its show of wealth, with halls and rooms large enough to encompass the man’s entire world.
Words left him. He stood in the palace as his family moved ahead of him, already accustomed to such glory. When he closed his eyes, he knew that the moment and those after would be the only memories he would ever see.
Exploration, It’s in the Blood
Marco Polo was born in the Republic of Venice in 1254. The son of wealthy merchants, not much is known about his early childhood or his interests during that time in his life. It is believed that during these years he received a formal education and after the death of his mother, was adopted by his uncle who cared for him.
A year before his birth, his father and other uncle left for a trading expedition which took them to Constantinople which had been under Latin control since the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The brothers spent six years there, building their fortunes as traders and merchants. As the years drew on, the brothers began to hear tidings of marching armies from the Empire of Nicaea toward Constantinople, which prompted them to leave. Deciding that the way west might be blocked by the approaching conflict, they headed east instead, trading silk, gems, furs, and spices as they traveled. They eventually settled in Bukhara – present-day Uzbekistan – spending three years there and adding more to their vast fortunes.
As they grew more prosperous, the brothers were noticed and encouraged by the Mongolian embassy to meet with Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the controller of a large portion of Asia. Now in the court of the great Khan, the brothers built a relationship with the ruler who quizzed them about European affairs and asked about modern customs. After winning favor, the Khan asked them to conduct a goodwill mission to the Pope. It was in 1269 that the brothers fulfilled their goodwill mission and finally made it back to Venice for the first time in eighteen years. Upon arrival, Niccolo Polo met Marco, his now teenage son, for the first time.
Travels Along the Silk Road
Two years after finally returning home, Marco’s father and uncle again departed Venice, this time with him in tow. They sailed to Acre which is in present-day Israel and picked up some holy oil at the request of the great Khan, trying unsuccessfully to enlist two friars to accompany them on their journey. Originally planning to sail most of the way back to Bukhara, they were unable to find a boat that suited their needs and instead decided to take camels across the land to their destination. What would later be described as the Silk Road, the Polos traveled over a series of well-worn trade routes for a period of four years. In Marco Polo’s writings, the terrain was described as harsh and unforgiving, with “great valleys of desert and mountains with little to no food to offer”. Along the way, they met people of various religions and cultures, all of which made an impression upon the young Marco Polo. He reveled in the adventure of it all, remembering details that he would later write down and share with millions. Their trek was slowed when they passed through modern-day Afghanistan, and Marco contracted an illness which required him to stop and recover. After recovering, they reentered the vast desert and continued their journey east.
Marco and his family finally arrived at Kublai Khan’s summer palace in 1275. The palace is described as opulent beyond imagination, with golden walls, ceilings of silver and gemstones, and magnificent furs and hides covering the chairs and tables. Here, we find a young man looking at the palace in a way that solidified his experiences over the last four years of travel. Nothing had prepared him for what he would see. It was as if the sense of adventure that had driven him forward was finally rewarded with something akin to a dream.
After his family reunited with the Khan, Marco entered into the service of the court. At this time, the Mongolian empire spread across a large portion of Asia. As a result, the Khan was reliant on foreign officials to hold it together. This provided an opportunity for Marco Polo, and he gained great favor with the Khan while serving in various roles. While the Polo family originally only planned to spend a few years with the Khan, they instead stayed for seventeen years. This allowed Marco to serve in many ways, from tax collector to the governor of a Chinese providence.
During his time serving the court, Marco marveled at the many differences he found there. First, the Mongols used paper money, something that was alien to him and other Europeans who would dare to venture that far east. Second, the Mongols possessed a great economy. Learning about the economy and the scale by which it grew contrasted with what he had heard about the Mongols throughout his life. Third, his time with the Mongols allowed him to acquired great knowledge about the empire and the innermost workings of their courts, and governing structure.
Historians differ on the reason why the Polos stayed as long as they did. The most popular reason has been that it would have been a great insult to the Khan to just leave given their exalted position within the court. Additionally, their departure without his blessing may have been seen as a show of weakness on his part due to his inability to control those who served him. Despite the Khan’s objections, the Polos were finally allowed to leave Asia and return home, provided they fulfill one more service for the Khan and escort a Mongolian princess to Persia where she was to be a consort for another Mongol ruler. The voyage home was arduous, and many died along the way, but after delivering the princess the Polos finally made it back to Venice after more than two decades, possibly looking unfamiliar to their family and finding it difficult to speak their native tongue. By this time in their life, the Polos had traveled over fifteen thousand miles.
Incarceration and The Travels of Marco Polo
Finding a war raging after returning home to Venice, Marco entered the conflict by adding a trebuchet to a galley he owned. He was captured not long after and incarcerated with another explorer and author. The two became friends, and during the several months of imprisonment, Marco began to recount his many adventures to his new friend who transcribed every detail.
The style of writing and the details described are done almost dispassionately as if Marco cared more about the details and less about his personal experience. For example, when writing about the sources of fuel, Marco Polo wrote:
It is a fact that all over the country of Cathay there is a kind of black stone existing in beds in the mountains, which they dig out and burn like firewood. If you supply the fire with them at night, and see that they are well kindled, you will find them still alight in the morning and they make such fine fuel that no other is used [within] the county. It is true that they have plenty of wood also, but they do not burn it, because those stones burn better and cost less. Moreover, with the vast number of people and the number of baths they maintain – for every one has such a bath at least three times a week, and in winter if possible every day, whilst every nobleman and the man of wealth has a private bath for his own use – the wood would not suffice for the purpose.
The finished manuscript was named The Travels of Marco Polo or The Book of Marvels and spread across Europe like wildfire. The book depicted all the travels and wonders Marco Polo had seen with his father and uncle over the past twenty years, with detailed accounts of locations, cultures, religions, and peoples they encountered in their journey to the great Khan’s court and coming back home. These stories were wild to Europeans, with some questioning the authenticity of the book and even challenging Marco’s travels entirely.
After he was finally released from prison in 1299 and after the death of his father, he married and had two children. He continued to prosper in trade and by investing the wealth that he had accumulated during his time in the east. When he finally died, he is said to have recounted more details of his early life and what he saw over the vast deserts, mountains, and trade routes almost reliving his fondest memories of wonder and excitement.
Turning Point: Influence and Authenticity
Marco Polo’s journeys to the east were filled with exciting details that dazzled European audiences and challenged them to go beyond the confines of their world. It brought detailed accounts of the Mongol Empire, which at the time was seen as a completely barbaric race that was both untamed and ridiculous to the point that one explorer called it, “Silly and as if they were from another world.” It outlined various cultures, religious practices, and peoples across the vastness of the east. This wondrous account would go on to influence other explorers, most notably Christopher Columbus, who was said to have a copy of the book with him when he set sail for the West Indies and the New World. Marco Polo’s work inspired further exploration, prompted new expeditions both east and west, and caused an overall taste for an adventure into the unknown world.
As it is with most ambitious works, there has been a question of authenticity regarding the Book of Marvels from the moment it was published. This could be due to several reasons. First, it is possible that since most Europeans had a set view of the Mongols, they simply couldn’t accept the new depictions of their culture and governance. Second, there were various inconsistencies that both old and modern historians have called out. An example of this is the lack of detail or even a mention of the Great Wall of China. Certain historians argue that because of this and other prominent structures were not mentioned, the question of Marco Polo even reaching China should be raised, even though other European explorers never mention it in their writings. Challenges to the authenticity of The Travels of Marco Polo range from complete denials of any facts within the text to accusations of the author romanticizing certain moments and cultures to make the text more appealing. The latter may almost certainly be true, as the man who transcribed Marco’s story was a known romantic writer in his day. Other objections from historians are almost always specific to the omission of central customs within the east, such as foot-binding, tea, and Chinese characters.
No matter where historians fall on when discussing its authenticity, no one can argue the impact that The Travels of Marco Polo had on future explorers. His life, guile, and will for adventure inspired future generations and provided a window into the unknown, untamed world.
