Question

Why did Ramusio claim that the original text of Marco Polo’s The Travels was written in Latin, rather than the dialect of Genoa?

A. Ramusio believed that Latin was a more prestigious language than the Genoese dialect.
B. Ramusio wanted to make the book more accessible to a wider audience.
C. Ramusio believed that the original text was written in Latin because it contained many Latin phrases.
D. Ramusio wanted to increase the value of the book.

Answer 1

Ramusio claimed that the original text of Marco Polo's The Travels was written in Latin because he believed that Latin was a more prestigious language than the Genoese dialect, signifying status and advanced learning in Europe at the time.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ramusio claimed that the original text of Marco Polo's The Travels was written in Latin, rather than the dialect of Genoa, because he believed that Latin was a more prestigious language than the Genoese dialect. This belief is deeply rooted in the historical context where Latin was the language of the educated elite across Europe and represented a common written tongue for international communication among scholars. Latin went from being the common vernacular during the Roman Empire to the language of church and educated people, signifying status and learning. While there is no surviving 'original' text of The Travels, it is known that Marco Polo held favor with the Great Khan, became an official at his court, learned several languages, and his stories were highly valued.