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| [[File:AC Echoes of History Legends EP4 Title Card.jpg|thumb|300px|''Marquis de Sade'' title card]] | | [[File:AC Echoes of History Legends EP4 Title Card.jpg|thumb|300px|''Marquis de Sade'' title card]] |
| ''Writer and philosopher, the [[Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade|Marquis de Sade]] is a very controversial figure because of his texts, where erotism and pornography had an important place along with cruelty, rape, and murders, to such an extent that his name gave the root of the word "sadistic". Because of his work and his deviant behavior, he spent more than a third of his life in prison. But how did the heir of an ancient French noble family become this despicable yet legendary character?'' | | ''Writer and philosopher, the [[Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade|Marquis de Sade]] is a very controversial figure because of his texts, where erotism and pornography had an important place along with cruelty, rape, and murders, to such an extent that his name gave the root of the word "sadistic". Because of his work and his deviant behavior, he spent more than a third of his life in prison. But how did the heir of an ancient French noble family become this despicable yet legendary character?'' |
| *'''Danny Wallace:''' ''12th of September 1772. The Place des Prêcheurs square in {{Wiki|Aix-en-Provence}} in the south of France was thick with people, the crowds clamoring to catch a glimpse of the famous aristocratic {{Wiki|libertine}} about to be executed. He had been sentenced to death for acts of sexual depravity in [[Marseille]] just a few weeks earlier. Everybody knew his name: the scandalous, 32-year-old Marquis de Sade had something of a reputation, and the rumor mill had been working overtime. What had started as a session with four young prostitutes, two of whom were intoxicated with {{Wiki|Cantharidin|stimulants}}, had been reimagined as a fiendish orgy, the aphrodisiac reinvented as a fatal poison—and French law did not tolerate sodomites and poisoners. But the convicted man had fled, and the figure bursting into flames in the town square in Aix-en-Provence was nothing more than an effigy. From a very young age, the Marquis de Sade sparked moral outrage, scandalizing society at the time and becoming a legend well before his death. He is still famous to this day, having inspired a new word that made its way into everyday speech in 1841: "sadism", or, the act of deriving pleasure from another's suffering, a perversion said to have been invented by the cruel Sade himself. Up until the early 20th century, the Marquis was considered the embodiment of evil, but his honor has since been restored on several occasions. Research was carried out to measure the originality of {{Wiki|Marquis de Sade bibliography|his writings}} and the realities of his political work.<ref>Ryland, Hobart (October 1951). "[http://www.jstor.org/stable/382965 Recent Developments in Research on the Marquis de Sade]". ''The French Review''. '''25''' (1): 10–15. {{Wiki|JSTOR}}. Retrieved on 15 January 2024</ref><ref>{{Amazon|domain=com|url=dp/B000OBI4TE|text=Must We Burn de Sade? by Simone de Beauvoir|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827092123/https://www.amazon.com/Must-Burn-Sade-Simone-Beauvoir/dp/B000OBI4TE}}</ref><ref>{{WP|The Sadeian Woman and the Ideology of Pornography|''The Sadeian Woman and the Ideology of Pornography''}}</ref> An unhinged torturer to some, a misunderstood and persecuted writer to others, Sade is a divisive character, and the path to understanding who he truly was is a difficult and winding one that veers between gilded hero and shadow lord.<br><br>You're listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', the podcast that tells you the true stories of some of history's most legendary heroes. As the ''Assassin's Creed'' franchise turns 15, travel back through 2,500 years of history to meet the men and women whose destiny lead them to greatness. Uncover their stories and bring their legends back to life. Episode four, the Marquis de Sade.<br><br>Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a nobleman born in [[Paris]] in 1740. {{Wiki|Lycée Louis-le-Grand|Educated}} in a fashion befitting his rank, he became a {{Wiki|Cornet (rank)|cavalry captain}} in the [[French Army|army]] and showed great valor during the [[Seven Years' War]]. In 1763, he bowed to [[commons:File:Jean-Baptiste François Joseph de Sade.jpg|his father]]'s wishes, marrying {{Wiki|es:Renée-Pélagie de Sade|Renée-Pélagie de Montreuil}}, the daughter of a magistrate who was close to the [[Louis XV of France|King]]. But Sade soon turned his back on ambition, devoting himself to libertinism instead. He was an unabashed atheist and a proponent of romantic infidelity who embarked on an ''insatiable'' quest for earthly pleasures, openly flouting taboos and conventions—reminds me a little of myself! It didn't take long for him to become the talk of the town. At the age of 23, he was arrested following the accusations of Jeanne Testard, a young worker and occasional prostitute. According to her account, the Marquis threatened her with a sword and forced her to take the Lord's name in vain, among other abuses. The accused was arrested and [[Château de Vincennes|imprisoned]] for "outrageous and blasphemous debauchery". He was released soon after, thanks to his father's intervention, but five years later, he was back to his old ways. In his bachelor pad in {{Wiki|Arcueil}}, a suburb of Paris, Sade forced a beggar, Rose Keller, to undress, before tying her up and whipping her until he drew blood, lacerating her back with a pocketknife, and covering her wounds with molten wax. The victim fled and reported her attacker, and the story made the headlines. The attack had taken place on Easter—sacrilege! The Marquis was {{Wiki|Château de Saumur|imprisoned}} for a short period, before being granted royal pardon thanks to his mother-in-law, Madame de Montreuil.<br><br>What happened in Marseille in 1772 was to have much greater legal consequences. On the run for almost five years, the Marquis was finally arrested on the 13th of February 1777, and incarcerated in {{Wiki|Vincennes}}, near Paris, where he served a 13-year sentence, this time triggered by Madame de Montreuil herself. She had been given a sealed ''{{Wiki|Lettres de cachet|lettre de cachet}}'' from the [[Louis XVI of France|King]] to get rid of the son-in-law who had brought shame on her family and daughter. When he fled Marseille, Sade took his wife's sister with him, making her his mistress. Under French law at the time, this was incest, a criminal offence that further sullied the the infamous Marquis' reputation. The Marseille scandal was the event that cemented the Marquis de Sade's legacy as a prince of darkness. The three cases—Jeanne Testard, Arcueil, and Marseille—converged into one in the newspapers and high society chatter, with sordid new details added for an extra helping of scandal. Just like a fairy tale ogre, Sade was painted as a poisoner and torturer, a bloodthirsty aristocrat who used and abused his privilege to inflict suffering on the poor with zero repercussions. This is a...somewhat ''excessive'' portrait, but conversely, Sade's proponents tended to play down the severity of his actions. {{Wiki|Guillaume Apollinaire|Apollinaire}} and the {{Wiki|Surrealism|surrealists}} after him attempted to turn the Marquis into a shining embodiment of a free mind with no master but its own desires. A gilded myth started to take shape, starring a Marquis-turned-martyr, a misunderstood artist, a target of pitiless repression. By his victims' accounts, however, it's ''difficult'' to imagine Sade as ''anything'' other than a torturer. Jeanne Testard, Rose Keller, and the women of Marseille were clearly raped, and sexual acts and corporal punishment they did not consent to were inflicted on them under threat. Whatever his admirers may say, Sade was a repeat sexual offender.<br><br>One other aspect of this dark legend is closer to fact than fiction: the impunity the Marquis enjoyed. He bought his victims' silence with gold—with Rose Keller, for example, receiving 2,400 ''[[livre]]s'' to stay quiet. His father and mother-in-law's political influence meant Sade was able to elude the justice system again and again, making the idea that he had been persecuted by the courts for petty moral matters or atheism not credible. By way of contrast, his contemporary {{Wiki|François-Jean de la Barre|François-Jean Lefebvre de la Barre}} was beheaded for blasphemy, even though the Marquis' crimes were much more serious. Yet Sade didn't enjoy complete impunity, either. His first long stint in prison was the result of an arbitrary royal decision. A ''lettre de cachet'', signed by Louis XV and confirmed by Louis XVI upon Madame de Montreuil's request, put him behind bars for a full 13 years. The Marquis was denied both trial a lawyer, but he nevertheless survived prison. Despite being locked away, denied walks, living among the rats, he wrote the books that would go on to make him famous.<br><br>In 1785, he wrote his best-known book in his cell at the [[Bastille]], ''{{Wiki|The 120 Days of Sodom}}'', drawing up a ''comprehensive'' catalogue of the most deviant sexual perversions on little sheets of paper he could hide from the prison guards, sticking them together in a scroll 12 meters long by 11 centimeters wide, and tucking it away in a small hole in the wall in his cell—he probably got a kick out of that. In fact, the Bastille is where the Marquis de Sade makes an appearance in the video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''. Protagonist [[Arno Dorian|Arno Victor Dorian]] is [[Imprisoned|incarcerated]] in Paris' famous prison in early July 1789. On the day he arrives, he meets Sade without realizing. Naked in his cell, the Marquis is clutching the bars of his tiny window, doing his best to get the people of Paris to [[Storming of the Bastille|storm the prison]]. ''"They're slitting our throats! They're murdering the prisoners of the Bastille!"'' The writer did actually say these words, causing him to he transferred to the {{Wiki|Charenton (asylum)|Charenton asylum}}, leaving his manuscript of ''The 120 Days of Sodom'' behind in the process. For the rest of his days, Sade remained convinced that the manuscript was destroyed along with the Bastille on the 14th of July 1789. In reality, the scroll was discovered by a worker who was helping demolish the fortress and who ''immediately'' decided to sell it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-marquis-de-sade-180953980|title=Who Was the Marquis de Sade?| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122225642/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-marquis-de-sade-180953980/|archivedate=22 January 2015|author=Perrottet, Tony|date=21 February 2015|publisher=''{{Wiki|Smithsonian Magazine}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> The manuscript changed hands several times until it was published in the 20th century.<br><br>In surrealist painter {{Wiki|Man Ray}}'s 1938 drawing,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2020/09/25/man-ray-and-the-marquis/|title=Man Ray and the Marquis|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004223925/http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2020/09/25/man-ray-and-the-marquis/|archivedate=4 October 2020|author=Coulthart, John|date=25 September 2020|publisher=''feuilleton – A journal by artist and designer John Coulthart''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> Sade's stone face appears against a backdrop of the Bastille in flames. The [[French Revolution]] is pivotal in the legend of the Marquis, and his biographers remain divided as to just how genuine his commitment to the cause was. In any event, the Revolution was what set him free, as on the 2nd of April 1790, all prisoners incarcerated on the King's orders were released. As an ex-nobleman, Sade was forced to prove his patriotic credentials, and further fueled the myths surrounding him in doing so. He claimed that he threw the king a searing letter just as the monarch was returning to Paris in his carriage following the [[flight to Varennes]]. The letter, Sade said, lambasted the king as a despot and traitor. This would have been impossible: anyone who came close to Louis XVI's carriage risked heading to the gallows. It's true Sade did write a letter criticizing the king, entitled "[[wikisource:fr:Adresse d’un citoyen de Paris au roi des Français|A Citizen Addressing the King of France]]", but it was merely plastered on a handful of walls across Paris and may have been read out in pubic—Louis XVI, most probably, never came to hear of it. Still, nice to be talked about.<br><br>What must be said, however, is that during France's [[Reign of Terror]], Sade displayed undeniable courage in publicly opposing the death penalty, a belief punishable...by the death penalty. Suspected of being {{Wiki|Modérantisme|a false patriot}}, he was arrested on the 8th of September 1793. Health issues meant he was spared the [[guillotine]]...''just''. The Reign of Terror and its bloody violence sickened him to the core, but according to darker version of the myth surrounding the man, [[Maximilien de Robespierre|Robespierre]] and [[Jean-Paul Marat|Marat]] took inspiration from the Marquis' writing in dishing out death penalties. The idea that Sade had inspired the Reign of Terror was a popular one. In his famous 1975 adaptation ''{{Wiki|Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom}}'', [[Italy|Italian]] director {{Wiki|Pier Paolo Pasolini}} takes the notion even further, positing that Sade had inspired totalitarianism.<br><br>Under [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Bonaparte]]'s {{Wiki|French Consulate}} regime and [[French Empire|Napoleon's Empire]], Sade was {{Wiki|Sainte-Pélagie Prison|imprisoned}} {{Wiki|Bicêtre Hospital|one last time}}. Having made a small fortune with his erotic and pornographic writings, the Marquis was arrested on the 6th of March 1801 and denied a trial, sentenced to spend the last twelve years of his life locked away. His crime? Being the ''suspected'' author of ''Zoloé'', an anonymous, erotic pamphlet published in 1800, a violent attack on [[Joséphine de Beauharnais]], wife of First Consul Bonaparte. In truth, he was sentenced for his ''entire'' scandalous body of work, and all of Sade's writings were seized. Deemed to be a maniac, in 1804, he was transferred to the Charenton lunatic asylum, where he died ten years later. The Marquis spent over ''a third'' of his life behind bars.<br><br>After his death, Sade went to Hell. Literally. In 19th century French libraries, that was the name given to the forbidden book section were the immoral writings were kept. While his work continued doing the rounds on the quiet, it wasn't until 1947 that his first book was officially published by {{Wiki|Jean-Jacques Pauvert}}, sparking ''years'' of legal proceedings as a result. But in 1958, the {{Wiki|fr:Ministère public (France)|French courts}} acknowledged the Marquis de Sade as a writer worthy of the name.<ref>{{WP|fr:Jean-Jacques Pauvert|Jean-Jacques Pauvert}}</ref> And, since then, he's been added to the prestigious {{Wiki|Bibliothèque de la Pléiade|Pléiade}} collection, with some of his work even included in secondary school textbooks—I bet ''that'' makes a few schoolboys giggle. In 2021, the French state bought the manuscript<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043149579|title=Avis d'appel au mécénat d'entreprise pour l'acquisition par l'Etat d'un trésor national dans le cadre de l'article 238 bis-0 A du code général des impôts|archiveurl=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/file/dwCgVwUMeUdxkkmObXeh3QXLnvcMvxCi57urzifqcpw=/JOE_TEXTE|archivedate=18 February 2021|author={{Wiki|Légifrance}}|date=18 February 2021| publisher=''Légifrance''|accessdate=15 January 2024|language=French}}</ref> for ''The 120 Days of Sodom'' from {{Wiki|Gérard Lhéritie|a private collector}} for over {{Wiki|Euro|€}}4 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/13/marquis-de-sade-manuscript-acquired-for-french-nation-120-days-of-sodom|title=€4.55m Marquis de Sade manuscript acquired for French nation|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713152732/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/13/marquis-de-sade-manuscript-acquired-for-french-nation-120-days-of-sodom|archivedate=13 July 2021|author=Flood, Alison|date=13 July 2021|publisher=''{{Wiki|The Guardian}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> To France's {{Wiki|Ministry of Culture (France)|Ministry of Culture}}, the famous scroll, and by extension the Marquis de Sade himself, are {{Wiki|national treasure}}s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20171218-france-dubs-120-days-sodom-national-treasure-stop-sale|title=France dubs '120 Days of Sodom' a national treasure to stop sale|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222081726/https://www.france24.com/en/20171218-france-dubs-120-days-sodom-national-treasure-stop-sale|archivedate=22 December 2017|author={{Wiki|Agence France-Presse}}|date=18 December 2017|publisher=''{{Wiki|France 24}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> Controversial? Maybe, but treasures all the same. Thanks for listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', a Ubisoft podcast produced by Paradiso Media.'' | | *'''Danny Wallace:''' ''12th of September 1772. The Place des Prêcheurs square in {{Wiki|Aix-en-Provence}} in the south of France was thick with people, the crowds clamoring to catch a glimpse of the famous aristocratic {{Wiki|libertine}} about to be executed. He had been sentenced to death for acts of sexual depravity in [[Marseille]] just a few weeks earlier. Everybody knew his name: the scandalous, 32-year-old Marquis de Sade had something of a reputation, and the rumor mill had been working overtime. What had started as a session with four young prostitutes, two of whom were intoxicated with {{Wiki|Cantharidin|stimulants}}, had been reimagined as a fiendish orgy, the aphrodisiac reinvented as a fatal poison—and French law did not tolerate sodomites and poisoners. But the convicted man had fled, and the figure bursting into flames in the town square in Aix-en-Provence was nothing more than an effigy. From a very young age, the Marquis de Sade sparked moral outrage, scandalizing society at the time and becoming a legend well before his death. He is still famous to this day, having inspired a new word that made its way into everyday speech in 1841: "sadism", or, the act of deriving pleasure from another's suffering, a perversion said to have been invented by the cruel Sade himself. Up until the early 20th century, the Marquis was considered the embodiment of evil, but his honor has since been restored on several occasions. Research was carried out to measure the originality of {{Wiki|Marquis de Sade bibliography|his writings}} and the realities of his political work.<ref>Ryland, Hobart (October 1951). "[http://www.jstor.org/stable/382965 Recent Developments in Research on the Marquis de Sade]". ''The French Review''. '''25''' (1): 10–15. {{Wiki|JSTOR}}. Retrieved on 15 January 2024.</ref><ref>{{Amazon|domain=com|url=dp/B000OBI4TE|text=Must We Burn de Sade? by Simone de Beauvoir|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827092123/https://www.amazon.com/Must-Burn-Sade-Simone-Beauvoir/dp/B000OBI4TE}}</ref><ref>{{WP|The Sadeian Woman and the Ideology of Pornography|''The Sadeian Woman and the Ideology of Pornography''}}</ref> An unhinged torturer to some, a misunderstood and persecuted writer to others, Sade is a divisive character, and the path to understanding who he truly was is a difficult and winding one that veers between gilded hero and shadow lord.<br><br>You're listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', the podcast that tells you the true stories of some of history's most legendary heroes. As the ''Assassin's Creed'' franchise turns 15, travel back through 2,500 years of history to meet the men and women whose destiny lead them to greatness. Uncover their stories and bring their legends back to life. Episode four, the Marquis de Sade.<br><br>Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a nobleman born in [[Paris]] in 1740. {{Wiki|Lycée Louis-le-Grand|Educated}} in a fashion befitting his rank, he became a {{Wiki|Cornet (rank)|cavalry captain}} in the [[French Army|army]] and showed great valor during the [[Seven Years' War]]. In 1763, he bowed to [[commons:File:Jean-Baptiste François Joseph de Sade.jpg|his father]]'s wishes, marrying {{Wiki|es:Renée-Pélagie de Sade|Renée-Pélagie de Montreuil}}, the daughter of a magistrate who was close to the [[Louis XV of France|King]]. But Sade soon turned his back on ambition, devoting himself to libertinism instead. He was an unabashed atheist and a proponent of romantic infidelity who embarked on an ''insatiable'' quest for earthly pleasures, openly flouting taboos and conventions—reminds me a little of myself! It didn't take long for him to become the talk of the town. At the age of 23, he was arrested following the accusations of Jeanne Testard, a young worker and occasional prostitute. According to her account, the Marquis threatened her with a sword and forced her to take the Lord's name in vain, among other abuses. The accused was arrested and [[Château de Vincennes|imprisoned]] for "outrageous and blasphemous debauchery". He was released soon after, thanks to his father's intervention, but five years later, he was back to his old ways. In his bachelor pad in {{Wiki|Arcueil}}, a suburb of Paris, Sade forced a beggar, Rose Keller, to undress, before tying her up and whipping her until he drew blood, lacerating her back with a pocketknife, and covering her wounds with molten wax. The victim fled and reported her attacker, and the story made the headlines. The attack had taken place on Easter—sacrilege! The Marquis was {{Wiki|Château de Saumur|imprisoned}} for a short period, before being granted royal pardon thanks to his mother-in-law, Madame de Montreuil.<br><br>What happened in Marseille in 1772 was to have much greater legal consequences. On the run for almost five years, the Marquis was finally arrested on the 13th of February 1777, and incarcerated in {{Wiki|Vincennes}}, near Paris, where he served a 13-year sentence, this time triggered by Madame de Montreuil herself. She had been given a sealed ''{{Wiki|Lettres de cachet|lettre de cachet}}'' from the [[Louis XVI of France|King]] to get rid of the son-in-law who had brought shame on her family and daughter. When he fled Marseille, Sade took his wife's sister with him, making her his mistress. Under French law at the time, this was incest, a criminal offence that further sullied the the infamous Marquis' reputation. The Marseille scandal was the event that cemented the Marquis de Sade's legacy as a prince of darkness. The three cases—Jeanne Testard, Arcueil, and Marseille—converged into one in the newspapers and high society chatter, with sordid new details added for an extra helping of scandal. Just like a fairy tale ogre, Sade was painted as a poisoner and torturer, a bloodthirsty aristocrat who used and abused his privilege to inflict suffering on the poor with zero repercussions. This is a...somewhat ''excessive'' portrait, but conversely, Sade's proponents tended to play down the severity of his actions. {{Wiki|Guillaume Apollinaire|Apollinaire}} and the {{Wiki|Surrealism|surrealists}} after him attempted to turn the Marquis into a shining embodiment of a free mind with no master but its own desires. A gilded myth started to take shape, starring a Marquis-turned-martyr, a misunderstood artist, a target of pitiless repression. By his victims' accounts, however, it's ''difficult'' to imagine Sade as ''anything'' other than a torturer. Jeanne Testard, Rose Keller, and the women of Marseille were clearly raped, and sexual acts and corporal punishment they did not consent to were inflicted on them under threat. Whatever his admirers may say, Sade was a repeat sexual offender.<br><br>One other aspect of this dark legend is closer to fact than fiction: the impunity the Marquis enjoyed. He bought his victims' silence with gold—with Rose Keller, for example, receiving 2,400 ''[[livre]]s'' to stay quiet. His father and mother-in-law's political influence meant Sade was able to elude the justice system again and again, making the idea that he had been persecuted by the courts for petty moral matters or atheism not credible. By way of contrast, his contemporary {{Wiki|François-Jean de la Barre|François-Jean Lefebvre de la Barre}} was beheaded for blasphemy, even though the Marquis' crimes were much more serious. Yet Sade didn't enjoy complete impunity, either. His first long stint in prison was the result of an arbitrary royal decision. A ''lettre de cachet'', signed by Louis XV and confirmed by Louis XVI upon Madame de Montreuil's request, put him behind bars for a full 13 years. The Marquis was denied both trial a lawyer, but he nevertheless survived prison. Despite being locked away, denied walks, living among the rats, he wrote the books that would go on to make him famous.<br><br>In 1785, he wrote his best-known book in his cell at the [[Bastille]], ''{{Wiki|The 120 Days of Sodom}}'', drawing up a ''comprehensive'' catalogue of the most deviant sexual perversions on little sheets of paper he could hide from the prison guards, sticking them together in a scroll 12 meters long by 11 centimeters wide, and tucking it away in a small hole in the wall in his cell—he probably got a kick out of that. In fact, the Bastille is where the Marquis de Sade makes an appearance in the video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''. Protagonist [[Arno Dorian|Arno Victor Dorian]] is [[Imprisoned|incarcerated]] in Paris' famous prison in early July 1789. On the day he arrives, he meets Sade without realizing. Naked in his cell, the Marquis is clutching the bars of his tiny window, doing his best to get the people of Paris to [[Storming of the Bastille|storm the prison]]. ''"They're slitting our throats! They're murdering the prisoners of the Bastille!"'' The writer did actually say these words, causing him to he transferred to the {{Wiki|Charenton (asylum)|Charenton asylum}}, leaving his manuscript of ''The 120 Days of Sodom'' behind in the process. For the rest of his days, Sade remained convinced that the manuscript was destroyed along with the Bastille on the 14th of July 1789. In reality, the scroll was discovered by a worker who was helping demolish the fortress and who ''immediately'' decided to sell it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-marquis-de-sade-180953980|title=Who Was the Marquis de Sade?| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122225642/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-marquis-de-sade-180953980/|archivedate=22 January 2015|author=Perrottet, Tony|date=21 February 2015|publisher=''{{Wiki|Smithsonian Magazine}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> The manuscript changed hands several times until it was published in the 20th century.<br><br>In surrealist painter {{Wiki|Man Ray}}'s 1938 drawing,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2020/09/25/man-ray-and-the-marquis/|title=Man Ray and the Marquis|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004223925/http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2020/09/25/man-ray-and-the-marquis/|archivedate=4 October 2020|author=Coulthart, John|date=25 September 2020|publisher=''feuilleton – A journal by artist and designer John Coulthart''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> Sade's stone face appears against a backdrop of the Bastille in flames. The [[French Revolution]] is pivotal in the legend of the Marquis, and his biographers remain divided as to just how genuine his commitment to the cause was. In any event, the Revolution was what set him free, as on the 2nd of April 1790, all prisoners incarcerated on the King's orders were released. As an ex-nobleman, Sade was forced to prove his patriotic credentials, and further fueled the myths surrounding him in doing so. He claimed that he threw the king a searing letter just as the monarch was returning to Paris in his carriage following the [[flight to Varennes]]. The letter, Sade said, lambasted the king as a despot and traitor. This would have been impossible: anyone who came close to Louis XVI's carriage risked heading to the gallows. It's true Sade did write a letter criticizing the king, entitled "[[wikisource:fr:Adresse d’un citoyen de Paris au roi des Français|A Citizen Addressing the King of France]]", but it was merely plastered on a handful of walls across Paris and may have been read out in pubic—Louis XVI, most probably, never came to hear of it. Still, nice to be talked about.<br><br>What must be said, however, is that during France's [[Reign of Terror]], Sade displayed undeniable courage in publicly opposing the death penalty, a belief punishable...by the death penalty. Suspected of being {{Wiki|Modérantisme|a false patriot}}, he was arrested on the 8th of September 1793. Health issues meant he was spared the [[guillotine]]...''just''. The Reign of Terror and its bloody violence sickened him to the core, but according to darker version of the myth surrounding the man, [[Maximilien de Robespierre|Robespierre]] and [[Jean-Paul Marat|Marat]] took inspiration from the Marquis' writing in dishing out death penalties. The idea that Sade had inspired the Reign of Terror was a popular one. In his famous 1975 adaptation ''{{Wiki|Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom}}'', [[Italy|Italian]] director {{Wiki|Pier Paolo Pasolini}} takes the notion even further, positing that Sade had inspired totalitarianism.<br><br>Under [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Bonaparte]]'s {{Wiki|French Consulate}} regime and [[French Empire|Napoleon's Empire]], Sade was {{Wiki|Sainte-Pélagie Prison|imprisoned}} {{Wiki|Bicêtre Hospital|one last time}}. Having made a small fortune with his erotic and pornographic writings, the Marquis was arrested on the 6th of March 1801 and denied a trial, sentenced to spend the last twelve years of his life locked away. His crime? Being the ''suspected'' author of ''Zoloé'', an anonymous, erotic pamphlet published in 1800, a violent attack on [[Joséphine de Beauharnais]], wife of First Consul Bonaparte. In truth, he was sentenced for his ''entire'' scandalous body of work, and all of Sade's writings were seized. Deemed to be a maniac, in 1804, he was transferred to the Charenton lunatic asylum, where he died ten years later. The Marquis spent over ''a third'' of his life behind bars.<br><br>After his death, Sade went to Hell. Literally. In 19th century French libraries, that was the name given to the forbidden book section were the immoral writings were kept. While his work continued doing the rounds on the quiet, it wasn't until 1947 that his first book was officially published by {{Wiki|Jean-Jacques Pauvert}}, sparking ''years'' of legal proceedings as a result. But in 1958, the {{Wiki|fr:Ministère public (France)|French courts}} acknowledged the Marquis de Sade as a writer worthy of the name.<ref>{{WP|fr:Jean-Jacques Pauvert|Jean-Jacques Pauvert}}</ref> And, since then, he's been added to the prestigious {{Wiki|Bibliothèque de la Pléiade|Pléiade}} collection, with some of his work even included in secondary school textbooks—I bet ''that'' makes a few schoolboys giggle. In 2021, the French state bought the manuscript<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043149579|title=Avis d'appel au mécénat d'entreprise pour l'acquisition par l'Etat d'un trésor national dans le cadre de l'article 238 bis-0 A du code général des impôts|archiveurl=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/file/dwCgVwUMeUdxkkmObXeh3QXLnvcMvxCi57urzifqcpw=/JOE_TEXTE|archivedate=18 February 2021|author={{Wiki|Légifrance}}|date=18 February 2021| publisher=''Légifrance''|accessdate=15 January 2024|language=French}}</ref> for ''The 120 Days of Sodom'' from {{Wiki|Gérard Lhéritie|a private collector}} for over {{Wiki|Euro|€}}4 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/13/marquis-de-sade-manuscript-acquired-for-french-nation-120-days-of-sodom|title=€4.55m Marquis de Sade manuscript acquired for French nation|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713152732/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/13/marquis-de-sade-manuscript-acquired-for-french-nation-120-days-of-sodom|archivedate=13 July 2021|author=Flood, Alison|date=13 July 2021|publisher=''{{Wiki|The Guardian}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> To France's {{Wiki|Ministry of Culture (France)|Ministry of Culture}}, the famous scroll, and by extension the Marquis de Sade himself, are {{Wiki|national treasure}}s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20171218-france-dubs-120-days-sodom-national-treasure-stop-sale|title=France dubs '120 Days of Sodom' a national treasure to stop sale|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222081726/https://www.france24.com/en/20171218-france-dubs-120-days-sodom-national-treasure-stop-sale|archivedate=22 December 2017|author={{Wiki|Agence France-Presse}}|date=18 December 2017|publisher=''{{Wiki|France 24}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> Controversial? Maybe, but treasures all the same. Thanks for listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', a Ubisoft podcast produced by Paradiso Media.'' |
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| ''As the only person to have signed the [[Declaration of Independence]] in 1776, {{Wiki|Treaty of Alliance (1778)|Treaty of Alliance}} with France in 1778, {{Wiki|Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris}} in 1783, and {{Wiki|Constitution of the United States|U.S. Constitution}} in 1787, [[Benjamin Franklin]] remains in history as perhaps the most important [[Founding Fathers|Founding Father]] of the [[United States of America|United States]]. And this even though he never ruled, earning him the title of "the only president of the United States who was never president of the United States". But behind the politician lies a great man of science responsible for a variety of inventions, starting with the {{Wiki|lightning rod}}.'' | | ''As the only person to have signed the [[Declaration of Independence]] in 1776, {{Wiki|Treaty of Alliance (1778)|Treaty of Alliance}} with France in 1778, {{Wiki|Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris}} in 1783, and {{Wiki|Constitution of the United States|U.S. Constitution}} in 1787, [[Benjamin Franklin]] remains in history as perhaps the most important [[Founding Fathers|Founding Father]] of the [[United States of America|United States]]. And this even though he never ruled, earning him the title of "the only president of the United States who was never president of the United States". But behind the politician lies a great man of science responsible for a variety of inventions, starting with the {{Wiki|lightning rod}}.'' |
| *'''Danny Wallace:''' ''"Whose portrait appears on an {{Wiki|United States one-hundred-dollar bill|American hundred-dollar bill}}?" By answering this question, the hero of {{Wiki|Danny Boyle}}'s film ''{{Wiki|Slumdog Millionaire}}'' crosses the {{Wiki|Indian rupee|₹}}1 million mark in the {{Wiki|Kaun Banega Crorepati|Indian version}} of the TV gameshow ''{{Wiki|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''. With his receding hairline, shoulder-length hair, honest eyes, and slight smile, Benjamin Franklin's face is famous worldwide. He is the only Founding Father of the United States to have signed ''all three'' of the key documents that established the new nation: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Treaty of Alliance with France, of which he was the main architect. When he arrived in Paris 1776 to seek the [[monarchy]]'s support, his ''extraordinary'' reputation preceeded him. Franklin's work on electricity had made him famous. At 70 years old, he was a true man of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. He came from a modest background, became wealthy on his own merit, he was a ''genius'' inventor, and an accomplished diplomat. His face was already well-known, and engravings, medals, and busts of him were a ''huge'' commercial success. Benjamin Franklin was a living legend, and he played a key role in building this legend himself, using his great skill to achieve his goals.<br><br>You're listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', the podcast that tells you the true stories of some of history's most legendary heroes. As the ''Assassin's Creed'' franchise turns 15, travel back through 2,500 years of history to meet the men and women whose destiny lead them to greatness. Uncover their stories and bring their legends back to life. Episode five, Benjamin Franklin.<br><br>Benjamin Franklin was born on the 17th of January 1706 in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] to a {{Wiki|Josiah Franklin|poor}} {{Wiki|Abiah Folger|family}} of Protestant settlers from England. Benjamin, who read the Bible aged just five, was an avid reader, but he had to leave school at 10 to help his family. At 12, to make a living, he became an apprentice to his older brother [[James Franklin|James]], who owned a printing business. In 1721, James Franklin founded the {{Wiki|History of American newspapers|first American daily newspaper}}, ''{{Wiki|The New-England Courant}}''. In April 1722, a [[wikisource:Category:1722 works|series of articles]] by one "{{Wiki|Silence Dogood}}" appeared in the paper and were a ''huge'' success. This outspoken, old lady tackled controversial subjects, much to the delight of her readers. But what they didn't know was that the young Benjamin Franklin was behind the pseudonym. At just 16 years old, he already had the qualities of a great writer. But the relationship between the two brothers quickly deteriorated. Tired of his elder brother's jealousy and physical bullying, Benjamin left Boston and arrived in [[Philadelphia, United States|Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] on the 6th of October 1723. According to the great man's legend, written by Franklin himself in {{Wiki|The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin|his autobiography}}, this date for him was a rebirth. Starting from this moment, this young man of 17—all alone and without a penny to his name—made his own success.<br><br>By 1750, Benjamin Franklin had come a long way. He was an accomplished businessman, editor, and printer who'd been publishing the influential newspaper ''{{Wiki|The Pennsylvania Gazette}}'', one of the most widely-read daily newspapers in the colonies since 1729. In 1733, he also began publishing the popular ''{{Wiki|Poor Richard's Almanack}}''. This publication was a big hit in the American colonies. The yearly almanac offered a mixture of weather forecasts, advise of all kinds, puzzles, and Franklin's trademark ''{{Wiki|One-line joke|bon mots}}''. It made its publisher rich, selling more than 10,000 copies a year. At the same time, Benjamin Franklin established himself as a committed citizen. He was particularly active in his community. In 1727, he formed the {{Wiki|Junto (club)|Junto}}, a philanthropic association of businessmen in Philadelphia. Together, they created one of the {{Wiki|Library Company of Philadelphia|first public libraries}} in America in 1731, and the {{Wiki|University of Pennsylvania}} in 1749.<br><br>At this time, Franklin began to devote himself fully to his true passion: science. He was fascinated by electricity. In 1751, he sent a letter to the {{Wiki|Royal Society}}, the prestigious learned society in London that made him famous throughout Europe. It contained the hypothesis that lightning was electrical, and described {{Wiki|Kite experiment|an experiment}} to prove it.<ref>Franklin, Benjamin (1 October 1752). "XLIV. A letter from Mr. Franklin to Mr. Peter Collinson, {{Wiki|Fellow of the Royal Society|F. R. S.}} concerning the effects of lightning". ''Royal Society''. '''47''' (1): 565–567. DOI: [https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstl.1751.0096 10.1098/rstl.1751.0000]. Retrieved 15 January 2024</ref> In June 1752, the scientist carried out his famous experiment. He constructed a kite to fly in a stormy sky, attaching a wire to the top of it, and tethering it to the ground with a wet string of hemp. To the string, he attached a key, insulated with silk thread, which he held in his hand. When lightning struck the kite, sparks flew from the key. Based on this observation, Franklin invented the lightning rod, which quickly became widespread. The following year, the Royal Society awarded him the {{Wiki|Copley Medal}}, their most prestigious prize.<br><br>After 1757, Franklin regularly spent time in England. He had been elected to the {{Wiki|Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Pennsylvania Assembly}} in 1751, and was chosen to represent its interests in London. This meant that Franklin was in Europe when the {{Wiki|Stamp Act 1765|1765 Stamp Act}} crisis broke out. Adopted by the British [[Palace of Westminster|Parliament]], the Act required American colonists to pay a stamp tax for a whole series of legal documents, newspapers, and adverts. It was incredibly unpopular, as a lot of taxes are, and led to violent protest. Rioters hanged and burned effigies of tax collectors—it's not a bad idea! Parliament backed down and the Stamp Act was repealed the following month. But the rift between the government in London and the colonies was established. This situation worried Franklin, who was still a [[Loyalists|Loyalist]] at this stage. He couldn't envisage the colonies' existence outside of the British Empire. His position gradually changed over the following years. In 1773, alarming letters from the [[Thomas Hutchinson|British Governor]] of the {{Wiki|Province of Massachusetts Bay|colony of Massachusetts}} were {{Wiki|Hutchinson Letters affair|published}} in a {{Wiki|Boston Gazette|Boston newspaper}}. Benjamin Franklin was behind this move. Having become {{Wiki|United States Postmaster General|Deputy Postmaster General}} for the colonies of British North America in 1758, he intercepted the compromising letters and revealed to the public the government's oppressive plans to limit the colonists' freedoms. This revelation was the spark that lit the fire of revolution. And this, along with other unpopular measures, led to the [[Boston Tea Party]].<br><br>On the 16th of December 1773, the [[Sons of Liberty]]—insurgent colonists—threw 342 chests of [[tea]] from England into the [[Boston Harbor|city's harbor]]—a crime that I still regard as one of the worst in history. In the aftermath, Franklin was summoned before the {{Wiki|Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council}} of the [[George III of the United Kingdom|King of England]]. For an hour, he was publicly humiliated. He was treated as a [[thief]] for having taken the letters, and was held responsible for the events in Boston. In March 1775, he left England for good. When he arrived in Philadelphia, the [[American Revolution]] had begun and fighting raged. He was chosen to represent Pennsylvania at the [[Continental Congress]], the joint governing body for the 13 revolutionary colonies. On the 21st of June 1776, Franklin received a letter from [[Thomas Jefferson]], his [[Virginia (state)|Virginian]] counterpart in Congress. It contained a draft of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin made a few, minor stylistic changes before returning it to its sender. After a few modifications, this text, written by Jefferson, was adopted by all delegates on the 4th of July 1776, creating the United States of America.<br><br>A few months later, Benjamin Franklin went to Paris. His mission was to obtain {{Wiki|France in the American Revolutionary War|financial and military support}} from the [[kingdom of France]]. Negotiations ''were'' difficult—as they so often are with the French. The monarchy was in serious financial crisis and wary of their British enemy. Franklin's reputation was a considerable advantage: he knew how to use his image, presenting himself at court with his ''legendary'' simplicity, with no wig or powered face, wearing his dark {{Wiki|frock coat}} and shoes with no buckles. This is the characteristic outfit in which he's portrayed in the video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''. Set in December 1776, the hero, [[Shay Cormac|Shay Patrick Cormac]], must [[RGVjb25zdHJ1Y3RlZA0K|infiltrate]] the court of Louis XVI to complete the [[QXNzYXNzaW5hdGlvbg0K|final mission]] of the game. Franklin, who has [[UHJvdGVjdGlvbg0K|access]] to the ''[[Palace of Versailles|Château de Versailles]]'', helps him get in. Although Franklin was a sensational success with the Parisian elite, he still needed an [[Continental Army|American military]] victory. Without it, the French wouldn't join [[American Revolutionary War|the war]]. On the 4th of December 1777, he finally received the long-awaited news: a few months earlier, the Americans had forced the British troops to {{Wiki|Battles of Saratoga|surrender}} at {{Wiki|Saratoga County, New York|Saratoga}}. On the 6th of February 1778, the Treaty of Alliance with France was signed. The French then {{Wiki|Franco-American alliance|fought alongside}} the Americans in their war of independence. Thanks to his support, General [[George Washington|Washington]]'s army won a ''decisive'' [[Siege of Yorktown|victory]] in [[Yorktown]] on the 19th October 1781.<br><br>Franklin did not return to the United States straight away. He remained in Europe for a while to negotiate peace with the British. On the 3rd of September 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed. Benjamin Franklin returned to Philadelphia a hero on the 14th September 1785. Despite his advanced age—he was ''70'' at this point—and his fragile health, he was chosen to represent Pennsylvania at the {{Wiki|Constitutional Convention (United States)|Philadelphia Convention}}, which was responsible for drawing up the Constitution of the United States. After ''lengthy'' discussions, this historic text was finally adopted on the 17th September 1787. Benjamin Franklin {{Wiki|Pleurisy|fell ill}} and died a few years later on the 17th of April 1790. Despite requesting a modest ceremony, ''20,000 people'' attended his funeral in Philadelphia. One year later, the great man's posthumous autobiography was published. Through this book, which was an ''immediate'' hit, Franklin presented an image of himself as a self-made man.<br><br>The myth is misleading, of course. Personal achievement played a key role in his life, but it doesn't explain everything. The young Franklin owed his apprenticeship to his brother, and his editorial achievements were principally inspired by previous successes. ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'', for example, largely mimicked ''{{Wiki|The Spectator (1711)|The Spectator}}'', a British paper that Franklin admired. And later, within the Junto, the Philadelphia philanthropic club, the entrepreneur benefited from a ''network'' of wealthy partners to achieve his ambitious plans. Even in the scientific field, Benjamin Franklin's contribution ''should'' be reassessed. The myth of a genius inventor, celebrated on ''both'' sides of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], minimized the crucial contribution of other scientists. {{Wiki|John Freke (surgeon)|John Freke}} in Britain and {{Wiki|Johann Heinrich Winckler}} in [[Germany]] put forward the hypothesis that lightning is electrical before him. The same is true for the experiment carried out by the Frenchman {{Wiki|Thomas-François Dalibard}} on the 10th of May 1752. Dalibard was the first person to demonstrate the existence of an electrical charge in clouds, several weeks before the legendary kite experiment. And "legendary" is the word, because Franklin's experiment should be taken with a pinch of salt. Some historians question the version taught to all American schoolchildren, which dates the event to June 1752. ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'', the newspaper Franklin himself published, did not describe the event until ''later'', in its edition on the 19th of October 1752, yet, the paper reported on ''Dalibard''{{'}}s experiment on the 27th of August 1752, so the timeline is ''certainly'' curious.<br><br>It is well-established that Benjamin Franklin contributed ''significantly'' to creating his own legend. A remarkable scientist, a talented writer, media mogul, skilled diplomat, and more. There are grey areas behind the reassuring gaze and modest smile of this major figure. But at a time when founding stories are being called into question, Benjamin Franklin's statues isn't at risk of being toppled because his impressive trajectory, political accomplishments, and scientific discoveries are evidence of the determination and intelligence of a man who continually questioned his prejudices. The ultimate proof of this clear-sightedness is that in the last years of his life, Franklin dedicated himself to a cause that was largely neglected during the Revolution: the {{Wiki|Abolitionism|abolition of slavery}}. Although the Declaration of Independence recognized equality between all men, Black slaves were excluded. At one time, Franklin himself had six slaves, and the newspapers that made his fortune contained classified ads for slaves for sale.<ref>Van Horne, John C. "[https://librarycompany.org/catalogs/Education%20of%20African%20Americans%20in%20Franklin's%20Philadelphia.pdf The Education of African Americans in Franklin's Philadelphia]". ''"The Good Education of Youth": Worlds of Learning in the Age of Franklin''. Ed. by John H. Pollack. {{Wiki|Oak Knoll Books and Press|Oak Knoll Press}}/{{Wiki|University of Pennsylvania Libraries}}, 2009. pg.72–99. Retrieved 15 January 2024</ref> For a long time, the great scholar shared white peoples' racist ideas about Black people. A visit to a school for Black children in Philadelphia in 1763<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-10-02-0214|title=From Benjamin Franklin to John Waring, 17 December 1763|author=Franklin, Benjamin|date=17 December 1763|publisher=''{{Wiki|Founders Online}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> opened his eyes to slavery. He then qualified it as "an atrocious debasement of human nature".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.14701000/?st=text|title=An address to the public, from the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the abolition of slavery, and the relief of free negroes, unlawfully held in bondage|author=Franklin, Benjamin|date=9 November 1789|publisher=''{{Wiki|Library of Congress}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> In 1790, as President of the {{Wiki|Pennsylvania Abolition Society}}, Franklin put his weight behind a petition to the federal government to ban slavery. It was not successful; the United States didn't abolish slavery [[American Civil War|until 1865]]. Now although Franklin didn't win ''this'' battle during his lifetime, here again, he can claim to have been a pioneer. Thanks for listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', a Ubisoft podcast produced by Paradiso Media.'' | | *'''Danny Wallace:''' ''"Whose portrait appears on an {{Wiki|United States one-hundred-dollar bill|American hundred-dollar bill}}?" By answering this question, the hero of {{Wiki|Danny Boyle}}'s film ''{{Wiki|Slumdog Millionaire}}'' crosses the {{Wiki|Indian rupee|₹}}1 million mark in the {{Wiki|Kaun Banega Crorepati|Indian version}} of the TV gameshow ''{{Wiki|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''. With his receding hairline, shoulder-length hair, honest eyes, and slight smile, Benjamin Franklin's face is famous worldwide. He is the only Founding Father of the United States to have signed ''all three'' of the key documents that established the new nation: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Treaty of Alliance with France, of which he was the main architect. When he arrived in Paris 1776 to seek the [[monarchy]]'s support, his ''extraordinary'' reputation preceeded him. Franklin's work on electricity had made him famous. At 70 years old, he was a true man of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. He came from a modest background, became wealthy on his own merit, he was a ''genius'' inventor, and an accomplished diplomat. His face was already well-known, and engravings, medals, and busts of him were a ''huge'' commercial success. Benjamin Franklin was a living legend, and he played a key role in building this legend himself, using his great skill to achieve his goals.<br><br>You're listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', the podcast that tells you the true stories of some of history's most legendary heroes. As the ''Assassin's Creed'' franchise turns 15, travel back through 2,500 years of history to meet the men and women whose destiny lead them to greatness. Uncover their stories and bring their legends back to life. Episode five, Benjamin Franklin.<br><br>Benjamin Franklin was born on the 17th of January 1706 in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] to a {{Wiki|Josiah Franklin|poor}} {{Wiki|Abiah Folger|family}} of Protestant settlers from England. Benjamin, who read the Bible aged just five, was an avid reader, but he had to leave school at 10 to help his family. At 12, to make a living, he became an apprentice to his older brother [[James Franklin|James]], who owned a printing business. In 1721, James Franklin founded the {{Wiki|History of American newspapers|first American daily newspaper}}, ''{{Wiki|The New-England Courant}}''. In April 1722, a [[wikisource:Category:1722 works|series of articles]] by one "{{Wiki|Silence Dogood}}" appeared in the paper and were a ''huge'' success. This outspoken, old lady tackled controversial subjects, much to the delight of her readers. But what they didn't know was that the young Benjamin Franklin was behind the pseudonym. At just 16 years old, he already had the qualities of a great writer. But the relationship between the two brothers quickly deteriorated. Tired of his elder brother's jealousy and physical bullying, Benjamin left Boston and arrived in [[Philadelphia, United States|Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] on the 6th of October 1723. According to the great man's legend, written by Franklin himself in {{Wiki|The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin|his autobiography}}, this date for him was a rebirth. Starting from this moment, this young man of 17—all alone and without a penny to his name—made his own success.<br><br>By 1750, Benjamin Franklin had come a long way. He was an accomplished businessman, editor, and printer who'd been publishing the influential newspaper ''{{Wiki|The Pennsylvania Gazette}}'', one of the most widely-read daily newspapers in the colonies since 1729. In 1733, he also began publishing the popular ''{{Wiki|Poor Richard's Almanack}}''. This publication was a big hit in the American colonies. The yearly almanac offered a mixture of weather forecasts, advise of all kinds, puzzles, and Franklin's trademark ''{{Wiki|One-line joke|bon mots}}''. It made its publisher rich, selling more than 10,000 copies a year. At the same time, Benjamin Franklin established himself as a committed citizen. He was particularly active in his community. In 1727, he formed the {{Wiki|Junto (club)|Junto}}, a philanthropic association of businessmen in Philadelphia. Together, they created one of the {{Wiki|Library Company of Philadelphia|first public libraries}} in America in 1731, and the {{Wiki|University of Pennsylvania}} in 1749.<br><br>At this time, Franklin began to devote himself fully to his true passion: science. He was fascinated by electricity. In 1751, he sent a letter to the {{Wiki|Royal Society}}, the prestigious learned society in London that made him famous throughout Europe. It contained the hypothesis that lightning was electrical, and described {{Wiki|Kite experiment|an experiment}} to prove it.<ref>Franklin, Benjamin (1 October 1752). "XLIV. A letter from Mr. Franklin to Mr. Peter Collinson, {{Wiki|Fellow of the Royal Society|F. R. S.}} concerning the effects of lightning". ''Royal Society''. '''47''' (1): 565–567. DOI: [https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstl.1751.0096 10.1098/rstl.1751.0000]. Retrieved on 15 January 2024</ref> In June 1752, the scientist carried out his famous experiment. He constructed a kite to fly in a stormy sky, attaching a wire to the top of it, and tethering it to the ground with a wet string of hemp. To the string, he attached a key, insulated with silk thread, which he held in his hand. When lightning struck the kite, sparks flew from the key. Based on this observation, Franklin invented the lightning rod, which quickly became widespread. The following year, the Royal Society awarded him the {{Wiki|Copley Medal}}, their most prestigious prize.<br><br>After 1757, Franklin regularly spent time in England. He had been elected to the {{Wiki|Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Pennsylvania Assembly}} in 1751, and was chosen to represent its interests in London. This meant that Franklin was in Europe when the {{Wiki|Stamp Act 1765|1765 Stamp Act}} crisis broke out. Adopted by the British [[Palace of Westminster|Parliament]], the Act required American colonists to pay a stamp tax for a whole series of legal documents, newspapers, and adverts. It was incredibly unpopular, as a lot of taxes are, and led to violent protest. Rioters hanged and burned effigies of tax collectors—it's not a bad idea! Parliament backed down and the Stamp Act was repealed the following month. But the rift between the government in London and the colonies was established. This situation worried Franklin, who was still a [[Loyalists|Loyalist]] at this stage. He couldn't envisage the colonies' existence outside of the British Empire. His position gradually changed over the following years. In 1773, alarming letters from the [[Thomas Hutchinson|British Governor]] of the {{Wiki|Province of Massachusetts Bay|colony of Massachusetts}} were {{Wiki|Hutchinson Letters affair|published}} in a {{Wiki|Boston Gazette|Boston newspaper}}. Benjamin Franklin was behind this move. Having become {{Wiki|United States Postmaster General|Deputy Postmaster General}} for the colonies of British North America in 1758, he intercepted the compromising letters and revealed to the public the government's oppressive plans to limit the colonists' freedoms. This revelation was the spark that lit the fire of revolution. And this, along with other unpopular measures, led to the [[Boston Tea Party]].<br><br>On the 16th of December 1773, the [[Sons of Liberty]]—insurgent colonists—threw 342 chests of [[tea]] from England into the [[Boston Harbor|city's harbor]]—a crime that I still regard as one of the worst in history. In the aftermath, Franklin was summoned before the {{Wiki|Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council}} of the [[George III of the United Kingdom|King of England]]. For an hour, he was publicly humiliated. He was treated as a [[thief]] for having taken the letters, and was held responsible for the events in Boston. In March 1775, he left England for good. When he arrived in Philadelphia, the [[American Revolution]] had begun and fighting raged. He was chosen to represent Pennsylvania at the [[Continental Congress]], the joint governing body for the 13 revolutionary colonies. On the 21st of June 1776, Franklin received a letter from [[Thomas Jefferson]], his [[Virginia (state)|Virginian]] counterpart in Congress. It contained a draft of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin made a few, minor stylistic changes before returning it to its sender. After a few modifications, this text, written by Jefferson, was adopted by all delegates on the 4th of July 1776, creating the United States of America.<br><br>A few months later, Benjamin Franklin went to Paris. His mission was to obtain {{Wiki|France in the American Revolutionary War|financial and military support}} from the [[kingdom of France]]. Negotiations ''were'' difficult—as they so often are with the French. The monarchy was in serious financial crisis and wary of their British enemy. Franklin's reputation was a considerable advantage: he knew how to use his image, presenting himself at court with his ''legendary'' simplicity, with no wig or powered face, wearing his dark {{Wiki|frock coat}} and shoes with no buckles. This is the characteristic outfit in which he's portrayed in the video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''. Set in December 1776, the hero, [[Shay Cormac|Shay Patrick Cormac]], must [[RGVjb25zdHJ1Y3RlZA0K|infiltrate]] the court of Louis XVI to complete the [[QXNzYXNzaW5hdGlvbg0K|final mission]] of the game. Franklin, who has [[UHJvdGVjdGlvbg0K|access]] to the ''[[Palace of Versailles|Château de Versailles]]'', helps him get in. Although Franklin was a sensational success with the Parisian elite, he still needed an [[Continental Army|American military]] victory. Without it, the French wouldn't join [[American Revolutionary War|the war]]. On the 4th of December 1777, he finally received the long-awaited news: a few months earlier, the Americans had forced the British troops to {{Wiki|Battles of Saratoga|surrender}} at {{Wiki|Saratoga County, New York|Saratoga}}. On the 6th of February 1778, the Treaty of Alliance with France was signed. The French then {{Wiki|Franco-American alliance|fought alongside}} the Americans in their war of independence. Thanks to his support, General [[George Washington|Washington]]'s army won a ''decisive'' [[Siege of Yorktown|victory]] in [[Yorktown]] on the 19th October 1781.<br><br>Franklin did not return to the United States straight away. He remained in Europe for a while to negotiate peace with the British. On the 3rd of September 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed. Benjamin Franklin returned to Philadelphia a hero on the 14th September 1785. Despite his advanced age—he was ''70'' at this point—and his fragile health, he was chosen to represent Pennsylvania at the {{Wiki|Constitutional Convention (United States)|Philadelphia Convention}}, which was responsible for drawing up the Constitution of the United States. After ''lengthy'' discussions, this historic text was finally adopted on the 17th September 1787. Benjamin Franklin {{Wiki|Pleurisy|fell ill}} and died a few years later on the 17th of April 1790. Despite requesting a modest ceremony, ''20,000 people'' attended his funeral in Philadelphia. One year later, the great man's posthumous autobiography was published. Through this book, which was an ''immediate'' hit, Franklin presented an image of himself as a self-made man.<br><br>The myth is misleading, of course. Personal achievement played a key role in his life, but it doesn't explain everything. The young Franklin owed his apprenticeship to his brother, and his editorial achievements were principally inspired by previous successes. ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'', for example, largely mimicked ''{{Wiki|The Spectator (1711)|The Spectator}}'', a British paper that Franklin admired. And later, within the Junto, the Philadelphia philanthropic club, the entrepreneur benefited from a ''network'' of wealthy partners to achieve his ambitious plans. Even in the scientific field, Benjamin Franklin's contribution ''should'' be reassessed. The myth of a genius inventor, celebrated on ''both'' sides of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], minimized the crucial contribution of other scientists. {{Wiki|John Freke (surgeon)|John Freke}} in Britain and {{Wiki|Johann Heinrich Winckler}} in [[Germany]] put forward the hypothesis that lightning is electrical before him. The same is true for the experiment carried out by the Frenchman {{Wiki|Thomas-François Dalibard}} on the 10th of May 1752. Dalibard was the first person to demonstrate the existence of an electrical charge in clouds, several weeks before the legendary kite experiment. And "legendary" is the word, because Franklin's experiment should be taken with a pinch of salt. Some historians question the version taught to all American schoolchildren, which dates the event to June 1752. ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'', the newspaper Franklin himself published, did not describe the event until ''later'', in its edition on the 19th of October 1752, yet, the paper reported on ''Dalibard''{{'}}s experiment on the 27th of August 1752, so the timeline is ''certainly'' curious.<br><br>It is well-established that Benjamin Franklin contributed ''significantly'' to creating his own legend. A remarkable scientist, a talented writer, media mogul, skilled diplomat, and more. There are grey areas behind the reassuring gaze and modest smile of this major figure. But at a time when founding stories are being called into question, Benjamin Franklin's statues isn't at risk of being toppled because his impressive trajectory, political accomplishments, and scientific discoveries are evidence of the determination and intelligence of a man who continually questioned his prejudices. The ultimate proof of this clear-sightedness is that in the last years of his life, Franklin dedicated himself to a cause that was largely neglected during the Revolution: the {{Wiki|Abolitionism|abolition of slavery}}. Although the Declaration of Independence recognized equality between all men, Black slaves were excluded. At one time, Franklin himself had six slaves, and the newspapers that made his fortune contained classified ads for slaves for sale.<ref>Van Horne, John C. "[https://librarycompany.org/catalogs/Education%20of%20African%20Americans%20in%20Franklin's%20Philadelphia.pdf The Education of African Americans in Franklin's Philadelphia]". ''"The Good Education of Youth": Worlds of Learning in the Age of Franklin''. Ed. by John H. Pollack. {{Wiki|Oak Knoll Books and Press|Oak Knoll Press}}/{{Wiki|University of Pennsylvania Libraries}}, 2009. pg.72–99. Retrieved on 15 January 2024</ref> For a long time, the great scholar shared white peoples' racist ideas about Black people. A visit to a school for Black children in Philadelphia in 1763<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-10-02-0214|title=From Benjamin Franklin to John Waring, 17 December 1763|author=Franklin, Benjamin|date=17 December 1763|publisher=''{{Wiki|Founders Online}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> opened his eyes to slavery. He then qualified it as "an atrocious debasement of human nature".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.14701000/?st=text|title=An address to the public, from the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the abolition of slavery, and the relief of free negroes, unlawfully held in bondage|author=Franklin, Benjamin|date=9 November 1789|publisher=''{{Wiki|Library of Congress}}''|accessdate=15 January 2024}}</ref> In 1790, as President of the {{Wiki|Pennsylvania Abolition Society}}, Franklin put his weight behind a petition to the federal government to ban slavery. It was not successful; the United States didn't abolish slavery [[American Civil War|until 1865]]. Now although Franklin didn't win ''this'' battle during his lifetime, here again, he can claim to have been a pioneer. Thanks for listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', a Ubisoft podcast produced by Paradiso Media.'' |
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| ''"Polo" is a name engraved in the legend of exploration. Sure, [[Marco Polo|Marco]] did a lot for that by [[The Travels of Marco Polo|describing]] thoroughly his trip to [[China]] and his life alongside the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol emperor]] [[Kublai Khan]]. But Marco Polo owes a great deal to his father [[Niccolò Polo|Niccolò]] and his uncle [[Maffeo Polo|Maffeo]]. These two merchants started by establishing trading points on the [[Silk Road|road]] to western Europe and [[Asia]] before making the full trip to China... twice! The second time, they brought young Marco, who was then 17, with them, marking the beginning of his legend. But there's no reason why the two brothers should remain in the shadow of their descendant.'' | | ''"Polo" is a name engraved in the legend of exploration. Sure, [[Marco Polo|Marco]] did a lot for that by [[The Travels of Marco Polo|describing]] thoroughly his trip to [[China]] and his life alongside the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol emperor]] [[Kublai Khan]]. But Marco Polo owes a great deal to his father [[Niccolò Polo|Niccolò]] and his uncle [[Maffeo Polo|Maffeo]]. These two merchants started by establishing trading points on the [[Silk Road|road]] to western Europe and [[Asia]] before making the full trip to China... twice! The second time, they brought young Marco, who was then 17, with them, marking the beginning of his legend. But there's no reason why the two brothers should remain in the shadow of their descendant.'' |
| *'''Danny Wallace:''' "Ye Emperors, Kings, Dukes...and all other people desirous of knowing the diversities of...kingdoms, provinces, and regions of all parts of the East, read through this book."<ref>Polo, Marco. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283939/page/n27/mode/2up The Travels of Marco Polo]''. "Prologue". Translated by {{Wiki|William Marsden (orientalist)|William Marsden}}. Edited by {{Wiki|Thomas Wright (antiquarian)|Thomas Wright}}. London: {{Wiki|George Bell & Sons}}, York Street, Convent Garden, 1880. pg. 1. Retrieved 29 February 2024.</ref> ''So begins ''The Travels of Marco Polo''. The greatest travelogue ever written, published in the 13th century, it was an ''instant'' success, taking the reader on an exciting adventure from Venice to the Far East via the [[Black Sea]]. Marco Polo made this ''extraordinary'' voyage to the ends of the Earth between 1271 and 1295. In this tale, the reader travels with him, crossing never-ending rivers and vast deserts, encountering tribes of nomadic riders, and meeting the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan in person.<br><br>Two centuries later, Christopher Columbus, a great admirer of Marco Polo, sailed at his wake via {{Wiki|Voyages of Christopher Columbus|another route}}, taking ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' with him as a travel guide. And many explorers have tried to follow in the Venetian's footsteps. However, he wasn't actually a pioneer or a lone explorer. Without his father, Niccolò, and uncle, Maffeo, we probably wouldn't know his name. The two men reached {{Wiki|Khanbaliq}}, modern day [[Beijing]], first when Marco was just a child. Without this ''first'' foray into the heart of another world, Marco Polo would have just been one Venetian merchant among thousands.<br><br>You're listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', the podcast that tells you the true stories of some of history's most legendary heroes. As the ''Assassin's Creed'' franchise turns 15, travel back through 2,500 years of history to meet the men and women whose destiny lead them to greatness. Uncover their stories and bring their legends back to life. Episode eight, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo.<br><br>The story of the manuscripts of ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' starts in 1298 in a Genoese prison. Languishing in his cell, poet {{Wiki|Rustichello da Pisa}} ''finally'' found a way to escape boredom. His new cellmate, one Marco Polo—Yeah, ''that'' one—had an ''endless'' supply of stories. This Venetian ''claimed'' to have completed an ''immense'' journey that started 27 years earlier. Initially suspicious, the poet was soon caught up in this extraordinary tale. The areas explored were described with ''such precision'' that the fascinated writer agreed to write everything down. The book was co-written; as Marco dictated the tale, Rustichello transcribed it. More than a century later, in 1392, a [[Florence|Florentine]] scribe annotated the manuscript, ''"I, Amelio Bonaguidi...Consider this lies...I don't believe it."''<ref>{{Wiki|fr:Pierre Racine (historien)|Racine, Pierre}}. "De Marco Polo à Christophe Colomb". ''[https://www.cairn.info/marco-polo--9782262039585.htm Marco Polo et ses voyages]''. Paris, France: {{Wiki|Editis|Perrin}}, 2012. ''{{Wiki|Cairn.info}}'', Tufts University. pg. 323–354. Retrieved 29 February 2024. "Ici finit le livre de messer Marco Polo de Venise, lequel j'ai recopié de ma main, moi Amelio Bonaguidi, alors que j'étais podestat de Ciereto Guidi, pour passer le temps et ma mélancolie, comme ce qui m'apparaît comme des choses incroyables et me semble des mensonges plus que des miracles. Eh bien! ce pourrait être vrai de qui raisonne, mais je n'y crois pas, cependant par le monde se trouvent des choses très diverses d'un pays à l'autre. Mais ceci m'apparaît comme des choses qui à mon goût sont incroyables et à ne pas accorder foi, telle est mon opinion."</ref>Now, admittedly, to suit public taste, the authors ''had'' embellished the story—just a little—with marvels: {{Wiki|Cynocephaly|dog-headed men}},<ref>Polo, Marco. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283939/page/n27/mode/2up The Travels of Marco Polo]''. "Book III, Chapter XVIII – Of the Island of Angaman". Translated by William Marsden. Edited by Thomas Wright. London: George Bell & Sons, York Street, Convent Garden, 1880. pg. 429. Retrieved XX MM 2024. "{{Wiki|Andaman Islands|Angaman}} is a very large island, not governed by a king. The inhabitants are idolaters, and are a most brutish and savage race, having ears, eyes, and teeth resembling those of the canine species."</ref> cats with human faces,{{Cite|29 February 2024}} and the {{Wiki|Roc (mythology)|roc}}, a giant eagle that can capture an elephant<ref>Polo, Marco. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283939/page/n27/mode/2up The Travels of Marco Polo]''. "Book III, Chapter XXXVI – Of the Great Island of Madagascar". Translated by William Marsden. Edited by Thomas Wright. London: George Bell & Sons, York Street, Convent Garden, 1880. pg. 429. Retrieved XX MM 2024. "The people of the island report that at a certain season of the year, an extraordinary kind of bird, which they call a rukh, makes its appearance from the southern region. In form it is said to resemble the eagle, but it is incomparably greater in size; being so large and strong as to seize an elephant with its talons, and to lift it into the air, from whence it lets it fall to the ground, in order that when dead it may prey upon the carcase [sic]."</ref>—as opposed to the {{Wiki|Dwayne Johnson|film star}}. The legend took hold through the fantasy and with it a suspicion: What if Marco Polo was a fraud? We wouldn't say that, but the Venetian certainly didn't visit all the places he described. He didn't set foot in Africa, for example, and he had a way with hyperbole. The word "marvelous" appears 120 times in the Franco-Italian text, which is a marvelous use of the word "marvelous".<br><br>However, there is ''irrefutable'' proof confirming the ''essence'' of his story. Marco Polo ''did'' travel to China, and he ''was'' a high ranking emissary to the Mongol Khagan emperor Kublai Khan. The most substantial evidence of this can be found in the Venetian's will, written in 1324, the year of his death. The inventory of his assets includes a golden tablet, or ''{{Wiki|paiza}}''—a type of passport entitling the bearer to privileges—engraved in precious metal and worn around the neck. The Khan gave them to his top officials.<br><br>The fact remains that Marco Polo's boastfulness ''minimized'' the role of his family, specifically, Niccolo, his father, and Maffeo, his uncle. During the account of his stay in China, Marco Polo puts himself in the spotlight ''so'' much that the other two men seem as if they're not there at all. Yet, when the journey for which he is now famous began in 1271, Marco was just an inexperienced young man of 17. He was only an apprentice to the two brothers, who were experienced explorers and merchants. And the journey in question was ''anything'' but an impromptu expedition into unknown lands. The Polo brothers were on a diplomatic mission for the Khagan himself. Reaching the emperor was a real feat in the first place, accomplished by the brothers a few years earlier in 1266 after crossing much of Asia virtually alone, and often without a guide.<br><br>The first pages of ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' contain a very concise account of this first voyage. And with time, the legend of Marco Polo erased the perhaps ''greater'' achievements of his father and uncle.<br><br>When Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254, his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo were on an ''extraordinary'' voyage. His mother was prepared to raise him alone as she waited for her husband's return, but she died a few weeks after Marco's birth. The boy was cared for by his aunt Flora and grandfather Andrea, a well known local trader. The Polos were a new family of prosperous merchants who lived in the Venetian quarter of {{Wiki|San Severo}}. The family business was long distance trade. Marco the Elder, the eldest brother, was the stable partner who stayed on land in Venice or at a trading post while his two younger brothers traveled to find the best products and markets.<br><br>In 1254, Niccolò and Maffeo left [[Venice]] for [[Constantinople]], the capital of the {{Wiki|Latin Empire}}. They lived in a house they owned in the Venetian quarter for several years while they grew their investments. But in 1260, the two brothers had to leave the city as the {{Wiki|Foreign relations of the Byzantine Empire#Republic of Venice relations: 8th–15th centuries|situation}} for Venetians became {{Wiki|War of Saint Sabas|precarious}}.<br><br>Before their hasty departure, Niccolò and Maffeo exchanged some of their possessions for precious stones and jewelry, items that are easy to transport and sell. Then, for a while, they moved to {{Wiki|Sudak|Soldaia}}, a trading post on the Black Sea and {{Wiki|Crimea}}, where the Polo family already had a presence before hitting the road again.<br><br>Crossing the Crimean Mountains, they embarked on an ''unforeseen'' adventure that took them to the Asiatic steppes of the {{Wiki|Golden Horde}}, the Mongol kingdom led by {{Wiki|Berke|one}} of [[Genghis Khan]]'s descendants. We don't know why they went on this journey. The only available source, ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', gives no explanation. Perhaps they were following a route suggested by other merchants. Maybe they won it in a magazine. One thing is certain: Westerners had already ventured into this part of Asia.<br><br>The year Marco was born, 1254, [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] missionary {{Wiki|William of Rubruck}}, an envoy of King [[Louis IX of France]], returned from a mission that had taken him ''all'' the way to {{Wiki|Karakorum}}, the capital of the Mongol Empire. The two brothers may have heard about this voyage. In the report he left, the monk recalls that Mongol leaders enjoyed valuable gifts such as jewelry—but then, you know, who doesn't? The Polos may have had it all planned when they left Europe.<br><br>In any case, they rode to the city of [[Bulgar]] on the west bank of the [[Volga]] river, where they met Berke, the first Khan of the Golden Horde to convert to [[Islam]]. He gave them a warm welcome, and the jewelry they gave him made an impression. In return, Berke gave the Polo brothers goods ''twice'' as valuable as the jewelry and the privilege of being able to trade in his kingdom. Niccolò and Maffeo spent ''a year'' in the region selling their inventory. At this stage, the two merchants probably planned to return to their homeland wealthy men, thanks to their business. But an unforeseen event pushed them to flee further into the Golden Horde. {{Wiki|Berke–Hulagu war|War}} broke out between Berke and [[Hülegü Khan|Hülegü]], the Khan who founded the {{Wiki|Ilkhanate}}, the rival Persian kingdom that was expanding and threatening Islamic lands. As the roots to the south were cut off, the Polo brothers moved east along the caravan routes leading to Central Asia. Once again, Niccolò and Maffeo took a gamble on the unknown.<br><br>It took 17 days for them to cross a desert populated by just a few herders—I hope they took a deck of cards with them. They managed to reach {{Wiki|Bukhara}}, one of the main crossroads on the Silk Road where they lived and traded for about three years. In 1264, the Polo brothers met a delegation sent by Hülegü to his brother, the great Kublai Khan. Both were the grandsons of legendary conqueror Genghis Khan. The diplomats suggested the brothers join them on their way to Khanbaliq, the new capital the Mongol emperor had ''just'' founded. Kublai Khan had never met Europeans and was curious about foreigners. The explorers agreed.<br><br>After an arduous, year-long journey—again, always remember to take a deck of cards—braving the cold snow, rain, and crossing swollen rivers, Niccolò and Maffeo were the first Europeans to penetrate so far into eastern Asia0and meet the Khagan. The Mongol emperor received the Polo brothers with ''all'' the pomp of his court, but their stay in Khanbaliq was short. After questioning the two explorers on the habits and customs of their country, Kublai Khan sent them on a domestic mission. The two brothers were to return with 100 educated people who would teach the emperor western science, technology, and religion. In his book ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', Marco claims that the Khan entrusted a letter to his father and uncle addressed to the [[Clement IV|Pope]]. According to him, the emperor was willing to convert to Christianity, ''if'' the church's emissaries convinced him. This is questionable. It ''chiefly'' reveals the explorer's views and conviction that ''his'' faith was superior to all others.<br><br>The return journey was easier. Thanks to a ''paisa'', an engraved golden tablet given to them by Kublai Khan, the Polo brothers were given lodging, horses, and food at each stop. They finally returned to Venice in 1269, and we can only ''imagine'' the admiration in Marco's eyes. A boy of 15, meeting his father for the first time. A father he had so often dreamed of, who had accomplished such an incredible voyage. A father and his brother, who gone from merchants to ambassadors, guaranteeing dialogue between two worlds. And we can also imagine the consuming ambition that the tales of Niccolò and Maffeo sparked in the teenager. As a result, two years later, when the two brothers left for their second voyage to the Mongol kingdom, Marco went with them. The Polos arrived in Khanbaliq in 1274. Kublai Khan quickly took a liking to Marco, making him one of his ''closest'' emissaries. The emperor sent him on various missions, enabling him to travel through China like no explorer before him. In all, the Polos stayed there for 17 years. On their return to Venice in 1295, Niccolò and Maffeo enjoyed ''enormous'' prestige; Maffeo became a member of the {{Wiki|Great Council of Venice|Grand Council}}, the assembly that elected the {{Wiki|Doge of Venice|Doge}}.<br><br>Niccolò and Maffeo do not ''deserve'' to be forgotten in the shadow cast by the ''glory'' of their successor. Gradually, they're emerging into the light. The {{Wiki|Netflix}} series ''{{Wiki|Marco Polo (2014 TV series)|Marco Polo}}'' highlights their role in the history of exploration. And they're also featured in the game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''. Niccolò Polo is introduced as a member of the Assassin Brotherhood. In 1257, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], the [[Mentor]] of the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Brotherhood]], [[Passing the Torch|gives]] him his precious [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|codex]] coveted by the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Knights Templar in Constantinople]], demonstrating Niccolò's importance. Pure fiction, of course, but after all, they ''do'' deserve a ''little'' help to regain their rightful place in history.<br><br>Thanks for listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', a Ubisoft podcast produced by Paradiso Media.'' | | *'''Danny Wallace:''' "Ye Emperors, Kings, Dukes...and all other people desirous of knowing the diversities of...kingdoms, provinces, and regions of all parts of the East, read through this book."<ref>Polo, Marco. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283939/page/n27/mode/2up The Travels of Marco Polo]''. "Prologue". Translated by {{Wiki|William Marsden (orientalist)|William Marsden}}. Edited by {{Wiki|Thomas Wright (antiquarian)|Thomas Wright}}. London: {{Wiki|George Bell & Sons}}, York Street, Convent Garden, 1880. pg. 1. Retrieved on 29 February 2024.</ref> ''So begins ''The Travels of Marco Polo''. The greatest travelogue ever written, published in the 13th century, it was an ''instant'' success, taking the reader on an exciting adventure from Venice to the Far East via the [[Black Sea]]. Marco Polo made this ''extraordinary'' voyage to the ends of the Earth between 1271 and 1295. In this tale, the reader travels with him, crossing never-ending rivers and vast deserts, encountering tribes of nomadic riders, and meeting the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan in person.<br><br>Two centuries later, Christopher Columbus, a great admirer of Marco Polo, sailed at his wake via {{Wiki|Voyages of Christopher Columbus|another route}}, taking ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' with him as a travel guide. And many explorers have tried to follow in the Venetian's footsteps. However, he wasn't actually a pioneer or a lone explorer. Without his father, Niccolò, and uncle, Maffeo, we probably wouldn't know his name. The two men reached {{Wiki|Khanbaliq}}, modern day [[Beijing]], first when Marco was just a child. Without this ''first'' foray into the heart of another world, Marco Polo would have just been one Venetian merchant among thousands.<br><br>You're listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', the podcast that tells you the true stories of some of history's most legendary heroes. As the ''Assassin's Creed'' franchise turns 15, travel back through 2,500 years of history to meet the men and women whose destiny lead them to greatness. Uncover their stories and bring their legends back to life. Episode eight, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo.<br><br>The story of the manuscripts of ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' starts in 1298 in a Genoese prison. Languishing in his cell, poet {{Wiki|Rustichello da Pisa}} ''finally'' found a way to escape boredom. His new cellmate, one Marco Polo—Yeah, ''that'' one—had an ''endless'' supply of stories. This Venetian ''claimed'' to have completed an ''immense'' journey that started 27 years earlier. Initially suspicious, the poet was soon caught up in this extraordinary tale. The areas explored were described with ''such precision'' that the fascinated writer agreed to write everything down. The book was co-written; as Marco dictated the tale, Rustichello transcribed it. More than a century later, in 1392, a [[Florence|Florentine]] scribe annotated the manuscript, ''"I, Amelio Bonaguidi...Consider this lies...I don't believe it."''<ref>{{Wiki|fr:Pierre Racine (historien)|Racine, Pierre}}. "De Marco Polo à Christophe Colomb". ''[https://www.cairn.info/marco-polo--9782262039585.htm Marco Polo et ses voyages]''. Paris, France: {{Wiki|Editis|Perrin}}, 2012. ''{{Wiki|Cairn.info}}'', Tufts University. pg. 323–354. Retrieved on 29 February 2024. "Ici finit le livre de messer Marco Polo de Venise, lequel j'ai recopié de ma main, moi Amelio Bonaguidi, alors que j'étais podestat de Ciereto Guidi, pour passer le temps et ma mélancolie, comme ce qui m'apparaît comme des choses incroyables et me semble des mensonges plus que des miracles. Eh bien! ce pourrait être vrai de qui raisonne, mais je n'y crois pas, cependant par le monde se trouvent des choses très diverses d'un pays à l'autre. Mais ceci m'apparaît comme des choses qui à mon goût sont incroyables et à ne pas accorder foi, telle est mon opinion."</ref>Now, admittedly, to suit public taste, the authors ''had'' embellished the story—just a little—with marvels: {{Wiki|Cynocephaly|dog-headed men}},<ref>Polo, Marco. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283939/page/n27/mode/2up The Travels of Marco Polo]''. "Book III, Chapter XVIII – Of the Island of Angaman". Translated by William Marsden. Edited by Thomas Wright. London: George Bell & Sons, York Street, Convent Garden, 1880. pg. 429. Retrieved on 29 February 2024. "{{Wiki|Andaman Islands|Angaman}} is a very large island, not governed by a king. The inhabitants are idolaters, and are a most brutish and savage race, having ears, eyes, and teeth resembling those of the canine species."</ref> cats with human faces,{{Cite|29 February 2024}} and the {{Wiki|Roc (mythology)|roc}}, a giant eagle that can capture an elephant<ref>Polo, Marco. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283939/page/n27/mode/2up The Travels of Marco Polo]''. "Book III, Chapter XXXVI – Of the Great Island of Madagascar". Translated by William Marsden. Edited by Thomas Wright. London: George Bell & Sons, York Street, Convent Garden, 1880. pg. 429. Retrieved on 29 February 2024. "The people of the island report that at a certain season of the year, an extraordinary kind of bird, which they call a rukh, makes its appearance from the southern region. In form it is said to resemble the eagle, but it is incomparably greater in size; being so large and strong as to seize an elephant with its talons, and to lift it into the air, from whence it lets it fall to the ground, in order that when dead it may prey upon the carcase [sic]."</ref>—as opposed to the {{Wiki|Dwayne Johnson|film star}}. The legend took hold through the fantasy and with it a suspicion: What if Marco Polo was a fraud? We wouldn't say that, but the Venetian certainly didn't visit all the places he described. He didn't set foot in Africa, for example, and he had a way with hyperbole. The word "marvelous" appears 120 times in the Franco-Italian text, which is a marvelous use of the word "marvelous".<br><br>However, there is ''irrefutable'' proof confirming the ''essence'' of his story. Marco Polo ''did'' travel to China, and he ''was'' a high ranking emissary to the Mongol Khagan emperor Kublai Khan. The most substantial evidence of this can be found in the Venetian's will, written in 1324, the year of his death. The inventory of his assets includes a golden tablet, or ''{{Wiki|paiza}}''—a type of passport entitling the bearer to privileges—engraved in precious metal and worn around the neck. The Khan gave them to his top officials.<br><br>The fact remains that Marco Polo's boastfulness ''minimized'' the role of his family, specifically, Niccolo, his father, and Maffeo, his uncle. During the account of his stay in China, Marco Polo puts himself in the spotlight ''so'' much that the other two men seem as if they're not there at all. Yet, when the journey for which he is now famous began in 1271, Marco was just an inexperienced young man of 17. He was only an apprentice to the two brothers, who were experienced explorers and merchants. And the journey in question was ''anything'' but an impromptu expedition into unknown lands. The Polo brothers were on a diplomatic mission for the Khagan himself. Reaching the emperor was a real feat in the first place, accomplished by the brothers a few years earlier in 1266 after crossing much of Asia virtually alone, and often without a guide.<br><br>The first pages of ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' contain a very concise account of this first voyage. And with time, the legend of Marco Polo erased the perhaps ''greater'' achievements of his father and uncle.<br><br>When Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254, his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo were on an ''extraordinary'' voyage. His mother was prepared to raise him alone as she waited for her husband's return, but she died a few weeks after Marco's birth. The boy was cared for by his aunt Flora and grandfather Andrea, a well known local trader. The Polos were a new family of prosperous merchants who lived in the Venetian quarter of {{Wiki|San Severo}}. The family business was long distance trade. Marco the Elder, the eldest brother, was the stable partner who stayed on land in Venice or at a trading post while his two younger brothers traveled to find the best products and markets.<br><br>In 1254, Niccolò and Maffeo left [[Venice]] for [[Constantinople]], the capital of the {{Wiki|Latin Empire}}. They lived in a house they owned in the Venetian quarter for several years while they grew their investments. But in 1260, the two brothers had to leave the city as the {{Wiki|Foreign relations of the Byzantine Empire#Republic of Venice relations: 8th–15th centuries|situation}} for Venetians became {{Wiki|War of Saint Sabas|precarious}}.<br><br>Before their hasty departure, Niccolò and Maffeo exchanged some of their possessions for precious stones and jewelry, items that are easy to transport and sell. Then, for a while, they moved to {{Wiki|Sudak|Soldaia}}, a trading post on the Black Sea and {{Wiki|Crimea}}, where the Polo family already had a presence before hitting the road again.<br><br>Crossing the Crimean Mountains, they embarked on an ''unforeseen'' adventure that took them to the Asiatic steppes of the {{Wiki|Golden Horde}}, the Mongol kingdom led by {{Wiki|Berke|one}} of [[Genghis Khan]]'s descendants. We don't know why they went on this journey. The only available source, ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', gives no explanation. Perhaps they were following a route suggested by other merchants. Maybe they won it in a magazine. One thing is certain: Westerners had already ventured into this part of Asia.<br><br>The year Marco was born, 1254, [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] missionary {{Wiki|William of Rubruck}}, an envoy of King [[Louis IX of France]], returned from a mission that had taken him ''all'' the way to {{Wiki|Karakorum}}, the capital of the Mongol Empire. The two brothers may have heard about this voyage. In the report he left, the monk recalls that Mongol leaders enjoyed valuable gifts such as jewelry—but then, you know, who doesn't? The Polos may have had it all planned when they left Europe.<br><br>In any case, they rode to the city of [[Bulgar]] on the west bank of the [[Volga]] river, where they met Berke, the first Khan of the Golden Horde to convert to [[Islam]]. He gave them a warm welcome, and the jewelry they gave him made an impression. In return, Berke gave the Polo brothers goods ''twice'' as valuable as the jewelry and the privilege of being able to trade in his kingdom. Niccolò and Maffeo spent ''a year'' in the region selling their inventory. At this stage, the two merchants probably planned to return to their homeland wealthy men, thanks to their business. But an unforeseen event pushed them to flee further into the Golden Horde. {{Wiki|Berke–Hulagu war|War}} broke out between Berke and [[Hülegü Khan|Hülegü]], the Khan who founded the {{Wiki|Ilkhanate}}, the rival Persian kingdom that was expanding and threatening Islamic lands. As the roots to the south were cut off, the Polo brothers moved east along the caravan routes leading to Central Asia. Once again, Niccolò and Maffeo took a gamble on the unknown.<br><br>It took 17 days for them to cross a desert populated by just a few herders—I hope they took a deck of cards with them. They managed to reach {{Wiki|Bukhara}}, one of the main crossroads on the Silk Road where they lived and traded for about three years. In 1264, the Polo brothers met a delegation sent by Hülegü to his brother, the great Kublai Khan. Both were the grandsons of legendary conqueror Genghis Khan. The diplomats suggested the brothers join them on their way to Khanbaliq, the new capital the Mongol emperor had ''just'' founded. Kublai Khan had never met Europeans and was curious about foreigners. The explorers agreed.<br><br>After an arduous, year-long journey—again, always remember to take a deck of cards—braving the cold snow, rain, and crossing swollen rivers, Niccolò and Maffeo were the first Europeans to penetrate so far into eastern Asia0and meet the Khagan. The Mongol emperor received the Polo brothers with ''all'' the pomp of his court, but their stay in Khanbaliq was short. After questioning the two explorers on the habits and customs of their country, Kublai Khan sent them on a domestic mission. The two brothers were to return with 100 educated people who would teach the emperor western science, technology, and religion. In his book ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', Marco claims that the Khan entrusted a letter to his father and uncle addressed to the [[Clement IV|Pope]]. According to him, the emperor was willing to convert to Christianity, ''if'' the church's emissaries convinced him. This is questionable. It ''chiefly'' reveals the explorer's views and conviction that ''his'' faith was superior to all others.<br><br>The return journey was easier. Thanks to a ''paisa'', an engraved golden tablet given to them by Kublai Khan, the Polo brothers were given lodging, horses, and food at each stop. They finally returned to Venice in 1269, and we can only ''imagine'' the admiration in Marco's eyes. A boy of 15, meeting his father for the first time. A father he had so often dreamed of, who had accomplished such an incredible voyage. A father and his brother, who gone from merchants to ambassadors, guaranteeing dialogue between two worlds. And we can also imagine the consuming ambition that the tales of Niccolò and Maffeo sparked in the teenager. As a result, two years later, when the two brothers left for their second voyage to the Mongol kingdom, Marco went with them. The Polos arrived in Khanbaliq in 1274. Kublai Khan quickly took a liking to Marco, making him one of his ''closest'' emissaries. The emperor sent him on various missions, enabling him to travel through China like no explorer before him. In all, the Polos stayed there for 17 years. On their return to Venice in 1295, Niccolò and Maffeo enjoyed ''enormous'' prestige; Maffeo became a member of the {{Wiki|Great Council of Venice|Grand Council}}, the assembly that elected the {{Wiki|Doge of Venice|Doge}}.<br><br>Niccolò and Maffeo do not ''deserve'' to be forgotten in the shadow cast by the ''glory'' of their successor. Gradually, they're emerging into the light. The {{Wiki|Netflix}} series ''{{Wiki|Marco Polo (2014 TV series)|Marco Polo}}'' highlights their role in the history of exploration. And they're also featured in the game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''. Niccolò Polo is introduced as a member of the Assassin Brotherhood. In 1257, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], the [[Mentor]] of the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Brotherhood]], [[Passing the Torch|gives]] him his precious [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|codex]] coveted by the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Knights Templar in Constantinople]], demonstrating Niccolò's importance. Pure fiction, of course, but after all, they ''do'' deserve a ''little'' help to regain their rightful place in history.<br><br>Thanks for listening to ''Echoes of History: Behind the Legends'', a Ubisoft podcast produced by Paradiso Media.'' |
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| *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''She has al-Hadi killed and ''replaces'' him with his brother Harun al-Rashid, who ''recognizes'' her as an important authority, and she becomes the queen mother.'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''She has al-Hadi killed and ''replaces'' him with his brother Harun al-Rashid, who ''recognizes'' her as an important authority, and she becomes the queen mother.'' |
| *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''She killed her own son?!'' | | *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''She killed her own son?!'' |
| *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''She killed her own son to ''maintain her power''. There's a ''great deal'' of politics here. And there are ''other'' really incredible women. There's one known as [[Zubaydah bint Ja'far|Zubaydah]]. Zubaydah has a son, [[al-Amin]]—and we're actually going to be talking about al-Amin in a future episode. But al-Amin has very little interest in continuing the line in his family: he's out partying all the time, he's out drinking, al-Amin ''may'' even perhaps have been gay, he has a lot of attraction to another ''male'' poet.{{Cite}}<ref>al-Tabari. ''[https://archive.org/details/tabarivolume31/mode/2up The History of al-Tabari]'', Vol. 31: The War between Brothers. Translated by Michael Fishbein. Albany, NY: {{Wiki|SUNY Press|State University of New York Press}}, 1992. pg. 57–58. Retrieved 15 January 2024.</ref> And so Zubaydah worried that she's not going to have any ''grandchildren'', a worry—''(laughs) ''something that ''any'' Middle Eastern mother has brought up at some point!'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''She killed her own son to ''maintain her power''. There's a ''great deal'' of politics here. And there are ''other'' really incredible women. There's one known as [[Zubaydah bint Ja'far|Zubaydah]]. Zubaydah has a son, [[al-Amin]]—and we're actually going to be talking about al-Amin in a future episode. But al-Amin has very little interest in continuing the line in his family: he's out partying all the time, he's out drinking, al-Amin ''may'' even perhaps have been gay, he has a lot of attraction to another ''male'' poet.{{Cite}}<ref>al-Tabari. ''[https://archive.org/details/tabarivolume31/mode/2up The History of al-Tabari]'', Vol. 31: The War between Brothers. Translated by Michael Fishbein. Albany, NY: {{Wiki|SUNY Press|State University of New York Press}}, 1992. pg. 57–58. Retrieved on 15 January 2024.</ref> And so Zubaydah worried that she's not going to have any ''grandchildren'', a worry—''(laughs) ''something that ''any'' Middle Eastern mother has brought up at some point!'' |
| *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''I was just going to say!'' (laughs) | | *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''I was just going to say!'' (laughs) |
| *'''Ali Olomi:''' (laughs) ''"When am I going to have grandkids?" I hear that from my mom all the time!'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' (laughs) ''"When am I going to have grandkids?" I hear that from my mom all the time!'' |
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| *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''This was the place ''all'' the merchants wanted to be, it's where they were ''plying'' their wares. And the gates of Baghdad made it possible. We talked about the ''babs', and these were roads that would actually lead ''directly'' into Baghdad, while at the same time, you'd have canals connecting it to the rivers.'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''This was the place ''all'' the merchants wanted to be, it's where they were ''plying'' their wares. And the gates of Baghdad made it possible. We talked about the ''babs', and these were roads that would actually lead ''directly'' into Baghdad, while at the same time, you'd have canals connecting it to the rivers.'' |
| *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''OK, so, let me get this straight: traders coming in via land and by the sea. What kind of goods are we talking, Ali?'' | | *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''OK, so, let me get this straight: traders coming in via land and by the sea. What kind of goods are we talking, Ali?'' |
| *'''Ali Olomi:''' Everything ''you can imagine. In fact, the historian {{Wiki|Yaqut al-Hamawi|Yaqut}} says, "Whatever the heart desires will make its way to Baghdad".<ref>{{Wiki|Ibn Khallikan}} (1871). [https://archive.org/details/32882019293979-ibnkhallikansbi/page/n5/mode/2up Deaths of Eminent Men and the Sons of the Epoch; or Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary], Vol. 4. Translated by {{Wiki|William McGuckin de Slane}}, 1871. Paris: {{Wiki|Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland}}. pg. 18. Retrieved 15 January 2024. "It is, in a word, and without exaggeration, a copy of Paradise: there was to be found all the heart could wish for, all that could enchant the sight."</ref> So you're going to see porcelain and [[jade]] from China, peppers and spice from [[India]] and [[Indonesia]], lapis from [[Afghanistan]], and precious metals from {{Wiki|East Africa}}. And all of this is going to ''flow'' into Karkh, that industrial, mercantile quarter of Baghdad.'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' Everything ''you can imagine. In fact, the historian {{Wiki|Yaqut al-Hamawi|Yaqut}} says, "Whatever the heart desires will make its way to Baghdad".<ref>{{Wiki|Ibn Khallikan}} (1871). [https://archive.org/details/32882019293979-ibnkhallikansbi/page/n5/mode/2up Deaths of Eminent Men and the Sons of the Epoch; or Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary], Vol. 4. Translated by {{Wiki|William McGuckin de Slane}}, 1871. Paris: {{Wiki|Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland}}. pg. 18. Retrieved on 15 January 2024. "It is, in a word, and without exaggeration, a copy of Paradise: there was to be found all the heart could wish for, all that could enchant the sight."</ref> So you're going to see porcelain and [[jade]] from China, peppers and spice from [[India]] and [[Indonesia]], lapis from [[Afghanistan]], and precious metals from {{Wiki|East Africa}}. And all of this is going to ''flow'' into Karkh, that industrial, mercantile quarter of Baghdad.'' |
| *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''Who would I see in these markets, Ali? It's at the heart of city life, so I'm guessing it's a ''pretty'' good representation of all the city's inhabitants.'' | | *'''Deana Hassanein:''' ''Who would I see in these markets, Ali? It's at the heart of city life, so I'm guessing it's a ''pretty'' good representation of all the city's inhabitants.'' |
| *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''You're right on the mark. The bazaar and the souk was a ''showcase'' of the bustling chaos of this great city. So you're going to have an Arab population, a Persian population, and African people ''generally'' from East Africa and North Africa known as ''{{Wiki|Sudan (region)|bilād as-sūdān}}''. You've got Kurds and Indians, Syriacs and Greeks, and it's going to be people from a variety of different classes: you have wealthy merchants with their patrons, you have slavers and the ''enslaved'', and, of course, Jews and Christians.'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''You're right on the mark. The bazaar and the souk was a ''showcase'' of the bustling chaos of this great city. So you're going to have an Arab population, a Persian population, and African people ''generally'' from East Africa and North Africa known as ''{{Wiki|Sudan (region)|bilād as-sūdān}}''. You've got Kurds and Indians, Syriacs and Greeks, and it's going to be people from a variety of different classes: you have wealthy merchants with their patrons, you have slavers and the ''enslaved'', and, of course, Jews and Christians.'' |
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| *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''A lot cooler, yes.'' (laughs) | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''A lot cooler, yes.'' (laughs) |
| *'''Deana Hassanein:''' (laughs) ''So, some of these clocks or contraptions you're talking about were mechanical. Were they clocks that you kind of, like, wind up? | | *'''Deana Hassanein:''' (laughs) ''So, some of these clocks or contraptions you're talking about were mechanical. Were they clocks that you kind of, like, wind up? |
| *'''Ali Olomi:''' Some of them were, yeah. There's a story<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/annalesregnifran00anna/page/n5/mode/2up|title=Annales regni Francorum|transtitle=Royal Frankish Annals|language=Latin|publisher=''Hannoverae: Impensis Bibliopolii Hahniani''|date=8th century|accessdate=15 January 2024|pages=p. 123-124|quote=[E]t legatus regis Persarum nomine Abdella cum monachis de Hierusalem, qui legatione Thomae patriarchae fungebantur, quorum nomina fuere Georgius et Felix [...] ad imperatorem pervenerunt munera deferentes, quae praedictus rex imperatori miserat, id est papilionem et tentoria [...] necnon et horologium ex auricalco arte mechanica mirifice conpositum, in quo duodecim horarum cursus ad clepsidram vertebatur, cum totidem aereis pilulis, quae ad completionem horarum decidebant et casu suo subiectum sibi cimbalum tinnire faciebant, additis in eodem eiusdem numeri equitibus, qui per duodecim fenestras completis horis exiebant et inpulsu egressionis suae totidem fenestras, quae prius erant apertae, claudebant; necnon et alia multa erant in ipso horologio, quae nunc enumerare longum est.}}</ref><ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015186805&seq=4&view=2up Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals and Nithard's Histories]. Translated by Bernhard Walter Scholz with Barbara Rogers. {{Wiki|Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor}}, {{Wiki|Michigan|MI}}: {{Wiki|University of Michigan Press}}, 1972. ''{{Wiki|HathiTrust|HathiTrust Digital Library}}''. Retrieved 15 January 2024. pg. 87. "The envoy of the king of Persia by the name of Abdallah came to the emperor with monks from Jerusalem, who formed an embassy from the {{Wiki|Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem|patriarch}} {{Wiki|Thomas I of Jerusalem|Thomas}}. Their names were George and Felix [...] They came to the emperor and delivered presents which the king of Persia sent to him, that is, a tent and curtains [...] also of a brass clock, a marvelous mechanical contraption, in which the course of the twelve hours moved according to a water clock, with as many brazen little balls, which fall down on the hour and through their fall make a cymbal ring underneath. On this clock there were also twelve horsemen who at the end of each hour stepped out of twelve windows, closing the previously open windows by their movements. There were many other things on this clock which are too numerous to describe now."</ref> of how Harun al-Rashid, which we've mentioned before, the caliph sends one of these mechanical clocks to, uh, Europe, to the Carolingians. And they think it's just magic because it's got this mechanical, moving automaton to it and they're like, "What ''is'' this sorcery?!"'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' Some of them were, yeah. There's a story<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/annalesregnifran00anna/page/n5/mode/2up|title=Annales regni Francorum|transtitle=Royal Frankish Annals|language=Latin|publisher=''Hannoverae: Impensis Bibliopolii Hahniani''|date=8th century|accessdate=15 January 2024|pages=p. 123-124|quote=[E]t legatus regis Persarum nomine Abdella cum monachis de Hierusalem, qui legatione Thomae patriarchae fungebantur, quorum nomina fuere Georgius et Felix [...] ad imperatorem pervenerunt munera deferentes, quae praedictus rex imperatori miserat, id est papilionem et tentoria [...] necnon et horologium ex auricalco arte mechanica mirifice conpositum, in quo duodecim horarum cursus ad clepsidram vertebatur, cum totidem aereis pilulis, quae ad completionem horarum decidebant et casu suo subiectum sibi cimbalum tinnire faciebant, additis in eodem eiusdem numeri equitibus, qui per duodecim fenestras completis horis exiebant et inpulsu egressionis suae totidem fenestras, quae prius erant apertae, claudebant; necnon et alia multa erant in ipso horologio, quae nunc enumerare longum est.}}</ref><ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015186805&seq=4&view=2up Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals and Nithard's Histories]. Translated by Bernhard Walter Scholz with Barbara Rogers. {{Wiki|Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor}}, {{Wiki|Michigan|MI}}: {{Wiki|University of Michigan Press}}, 1972. ''{{Wiki|HathiTrust|HathiTrust Digital Library}}''. Retrieved on 15 January 2024. pg. 87. "The envoy of the king of Persia by the name of Abdallah came to the emperor with monks from Jerusalem, who formed an embassy from the {{Wiki|Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem|patriarch}} {{Wiki|Thomas I of Jerusalem|Thomas}}. Their names were George and Felix [...] They came to the emperor and delivered presents which the king of Persia sent to him, that is, a tent and curtains [...] also of a brass clock, a marvelous mechanical contraption, in which the course of the twelve hours moved according to a water clock, with as many brazen little balls, which fall down on the hour and through their fall make a cymbal ring underneath. On this clock there were also twelve horsemen who at the end of each hour stepped out of twelve windows, closing the previously open windows by their movements. There were many other things on this clock which are too numerous to describe now."</ref> of how Harun al-Rashid, which we've mentioned before, the caliph sends one of these mechanical clocks to, uh, Europe, to the Carolingians. And they think it's just magic because it's got this mechanical, moving automaton to it and they're like, "What ''is'' this sorcery?!"'' |
| *'''Deana Hassanein:''' I'm ''sitting here and I'm like, "What is this sorcery?"!'' (laughs) | | *'''Deana Hassanein:''' I'm ''sitting here and I'm like, "What is this sorcery?"!'' (laughs) |
| *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''If I'm being honest, though, I'm partial to the sundials. I actually want one in front of my yard.'' | | *'''Ali Olomi:''' ''If I'm being honest, though, I'm partial to the sundials. I actually want one in front of my yard.'' |
