marco polo Essay -- essays research papers fc

Marco Polo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco’s father, Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China in 1260 - 1269 as merchants. Despite Marco’s enduring fame very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family of merchants. He also lived during a propitious time in world history, when the height of Venice’s as a city-state coincided with the greatest extent of Mongol conquest of Asia. (http://darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter1/polo.htm )   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol hordes also threatened other parts of Europe, particularly Poland and Hungary, inspiring fears everywhere by their bloodthirsty advances. Yet the ruthless methods brought a measure of stability to the lands they controlled, opening up trade routes such as the famous Silk Road. Eventually, the Mongols discovered that it was more profitable to collect tribute from people that to kill them outright. Knowing this a number of European traders ventured, including the family of Marco Polo. (Marco Polo and the Medieval Explorers)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1269, Niccolo and Maffeo Polo arrived back in Venice, where Niccolo found out his wife had died while he was gone. Their son Marco was only about fifteen years old. Marco was raised primarily by his mother and the streets of Venice. These experiences had a big influence on young Marco.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1268, Pope Clement IV died, and there was about a three-year delay while another pope was being elected. This gave Marco time to mature and absorb the tales of his father and uncle. Marco was seventeen years old when he, his father and uncle set out for the court of Kublai Khan. They were also accompanied by two Dominican friars, and the good friars turned back at the first sign of adversity, another local war in Levant. Marco was the only new person in the Polo’s party, but he was a representative of the spirit of European civilization on the eve of the Renaissance. (The Travels of Marco Polo)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the way to Khan’s court, Marco had the opportunity to complete his education. T... ...cognize them, then they were astounded, and then were disgusted by their shabby appearance. The disgust changed to delight when the Polo’s invited everyone to a homecoming banquet, ripped apart their old clothes, and let all the hidden jewels clatter to the table.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marco was not yet ready to settle down. He became involved in naval warfare between Venetians and their trading rivals the Genoese. In 1298 Marco was captured and put in prison in Genoa. In prison Marco met a man named Rustichello from Persia, who was a writer. To pass the time Marco dictated his observations about Asia to Rustichello. After his prison experience, which lasted about a year, Marco was content to lead a quiet life in Venice with the rest of his family. He married Donata Badoer, a member of the Venetian aristocracy. Marco died in 1324 at the age of seventy. He left most of his wealth to his three daughters.. (http://darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter1/polo.htm ) Bibliography 1. http://darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter1/polo.htm 2. The Travels of Marco Polo, Mary Hull 3. Marco Polo in China, Li Man Kin 4. Marco Polo and the Medieval Explorers, Rebecca Stefoff