Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we traverse the Silk Road to explore the life of Marco Polo (c. 1254–1324), the Venetian merchant and explorer whose travels gave Europeans their first comprehensive look at the inner workings of the Far East. We discuss how a teenage Marco joined his father and uncle on an epic 24-year expedition, eventually reaching "Cathay" and the court of the Mongol ruler, Kublai Khan.

Tune in to learn how Polo spent 17 years as the Khan's foreign emissary, witnessing marvels previously unknown to Europe—including porcelain, gunpowder, and paper money. We also cover the dramatic origins of his famous book, Il Milione, which he dictated to a romance writer named Rustichello da Pisa while imprisoned by the Genoese. Finally, we examine the scholarly controversies surrounding his accounts, from the omission of the Great Wall and footbinding to the debunked myth that he introduced pasta to Italy.