los strode into Venice looking like rugged Mongols.19 Having thought them dead,their relatives at first did not recognize them, then were astounded, and then weredisgusted by their shabby appearance. Yet, according to Ramusio, the scorn changed todelight when the returned travelers invited everyone to a homecoming banquet, rippedapart their old clothes, and let all the hidden jewels clatter to the table.20 The rest of theworld might have learned little about the Polos' travels if fate had not intervened inMarco's life. In his early forties, Marco was not yet ready to settle down. Perhaps he wasrestless for further adventure, or perhaps he felt obliged to fulfill his civic duties to hisnative city-state. In any event, he became involved in naval warfare between Venetiansand their trading rivals, the Genoese, and was captured. In 1298, the great traveler acrossAsia, and emissary of the Khan found himself rotting in a prison in Genoa, an experiencethat could have ended tragically but instead took a lucky turn. In prison Marco met a mannamed Rustichello from Persia, who was a writer of romances.21 To pass the time,Marco dictated his observations about Asia to Rustichello, who, in writing them down,probably employed the Italianized Old French that was the language of medievalromances. Their book was soon circulating, since Marco remained in prison only a yearor so, very likely gaining his freedom when the Venetians and Genoese made peace in1299.22 After his prison experience, Marco was content to lead a quiet life in Venicewith the rest of his family and bask in his almost instant literary fame. He married DonataBadoer, a member of the Venetian aristocracy. Thus Marco seems to have spent the lastpart of his life moving in Venetian aristocratic circles.After living what was then a long life, Marco died in 1324, only seventy years ofage. In his will he left most of his modest wealth to his three daughters, a legacy thatincluded goods which he ...
