you know the explorer, marco polo
2007-01-23 10:50:50 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
I know, the explorer, Marco Polo ( you should use capital letters with names ). Well, contrary to what one of my students said once, he DID NOT discover America, he became part of the court of khublai khan, and was commissioned by him to make a report of the many countries that composed his vast empire.
Thus, Marco Polo traveled through Asia describing the countries he visited and their customs. Back in italy he wrote a book about what he saw called: "The Book of Marvels."
What he described was so different for his countrymen, that they thought he was lying.
In his deathbed, they told him to rectify his "lies". His answer was: "I just began to describe what I saw"
2007-01-23 13:53:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just a note to some of the answerers above: Marco Polo did NOT discover silk in China. Chinese silk was known to the ancient Romans, a thousand years before Marco Polo.
2016-05-24 02:08:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Marco Polo didn't really discovered nothing new, Silk Road already existed, but he was one of the first Westerners to travel towards extreme east, and much more important he was the first to make a complete report about his trip, and also about the time he was in China, in fact he met the Khan (Mongol emperor) and the Khan chose him to become Governor of a region and for other services. He spent a long time of his live in China and then he came back to Venice when he was quite old, he was took prisoner in a battle between Venice and Genoa, and in a Genoan prison he dictated the report of his travels(The Million) to his cellmate Rustichello da Pisa.
In The Million he is the first to tell about unknown things he saw in his journey like burning stones(Coal) and about a black fluid coming out from rocks and flammable(Oil) and about an unicorn but big and terrifying(Rhinoceros)
2007-01-23 13:07:23 · answer #3 · answered by sparviero 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually there's a new direction in historical thought that suggests that Marco Polo didn't discover ANYTHING. It's thought that he collected and published information about the Orient that he gathered from other travellers and claimed it as his own journey and exploits. I don't recall exactly what evidence was presented for this theory, but I do remember that it was fairly compelling.
2007-01-23 17:15:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Silk Road
2007-01-23 10:54:35 · answer #5 · answered by malejisa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He went to China with his father and his uncle. Returned to Italy years later, and wrote a book about China. This must have contributed a great deal to the seeking of trade with China.
EDIT:
They travelled to china by an overland route, not by sea.
2007-01-23 11:33:04 · answer #6 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
didnt he discover that game? you know, the one like hide~n~seek? as far as i know, that is one thing he accomplished!!
lol
2007-01-23 11:23:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wikipedia is your friend
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo
ps. www.doyourownhomework.com
2007-01-23 11:17:26 · answer #8 · answered by ajtheactress 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He invented a stupid annoying game.
2007-01-23 11:13:23 · answer #9 · answered by Jimfix 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋