É. Apor (ed.): Codex Cumanicus. Ed. by Géza Kuun with a Prolegomena to the Codex Cumanicus by Lajos Ligeti. (Budapest Oriental Reprints, Ser. B 1.)
L. Ligeti: Prolegomena to the Codex Cumanicus
PROLEGOMENA TO THE CODEX CUMANICl'S 9 should now be worded in the following way: With which Oriental peoples did the Italian colonists settled along the northern fringe of the Black Sea trade ? What routes did the Italians use for this trade ? What commodities were involved in the exchange? In what sort of offices was the Persian-Coman dictionary used? The answer to the first question is seemingly pat. Yet only seemingly, as the definition of the Italian colonists itself presents a problem. What sort of Italian colonists have to be reckoned with? No doubt the Genoans played a significant role in the region, yet the more modest but no less active Venetians cannot be bypassed either. So far the aim of research has been to establish in which colony the Codex was written. This question should, however, be extended: were the original and the copies used only in one colony or in both? The Genoans and Venetians had a wide mediating role in the trade of this region (Pisa and Florence cai 1 be disregarded here, since their role was comparatively insignificant). We will leave out of account the radiation of this widespread trade towards the West and North Africa, and will concentrate on the Levant, or more precisely, on the Persia of the Ilkhans, the Golden Horde, and, through the latter, on Central and East Asia. As for the exchanged commodities in this huge area, detailed information can be drawn from the extant lists of goods which indicate that a wide range of natural resources and products of human activity was involved, including slaves in some places. Two of the trading routes are of special importance. One led to the Levant with a branch leading to Persia via Trapezunt. This latter demands greater attention in our context. This route being widely known, requires little elaboration here. The same cannot be said of the other route which led through the capital of the Golden Horde to Central Asia and Peking. We owe our description of this route to the 14th century author, Pegolotti. The starting point of this remarkable trade route was Tana (today Azov). The first leg of the journey ending in Astrakhan (Gintarchan) could Ite made in 25 days in an ox-cart, or 12 days in a horse-drawn cart. Highwaymen also used this stretch of road, so it was rather dangerous. A one-dav waterway followed to Sarai (Sara), then another 8 days sailing to Saraichik (Saracanco) (on the river Ural). A camel-drawn cart covered the next leg from Saraichik to Urgenj (Organci) in 20 days. Travelling merchants found a flourishing market in this town. 35 40 days were needed to travel from Urgenj to Otrar. Those travelling without cargo avoided Otrar and reached the next station, Almalik (Armalec) in 50 days. The travellers were then carried by pack donkeys along a road which was also full of highwaymen, to Kanchou (Caexu) in Chinese territory. This was a 70-day trip. Then came a 75-day journey on horseback to the city of Hangchou (Cassai), by a «great water» . Here silver coins had to be exchanged for Chinese notes. The trip» from Hangchou to Peking (Cambalec) took 30 days. Pegolotti added to his record of the journey: It is advisable for the mer-
