Essay Archive - Marco Polo
Marco Polo
POLO, Marco (1254-1323?). In 1298 a Venetian adventurer named Marco
Polo wrote a fascinating book about his travels in the Far East. Men read
his accounts of Oriental riches and became eager to find sea routes to
China, Japan, and the East Indies. Even Columbus, nearly 200 years later,
often consulted his copy of 'The Book of Ser Marco Polo'.
In Marco's day the book was translated and copied by hand in several
languages. After printing was introduced in the 1440's, the book was
circulated even more widely. Many people thought that the book was a fable
or a gr....
|