13th-14th century, Mongol expansion and Yuan Dynasty
| Date / Author | Work(s) | Status | Notes | Link(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1245–1247 Giovanni da Pian del Carpine |
Historia Mongalorum | Fully translated | Early Western report on the Mongols. Exists in Latin; modern English editions (Beazley/Hakluyt). | Beazley/Hakluyt facsimile |
| 1245–1247 Benedict of Poland |
Relatio | Fully published 2025 | Independent short account complementing Carpine. Survives in several MSS; recent edition and diplomatic translation with commentary available. | FarEastLatin edition |
| 1247 Simon of Saint-Quentin |
Historia Tartarorum | Modern bilingual edition | Full Latin + English digital critical edition available. | Edition project |
| 1253–1255 William of Rubruck |
Itinerarium | Fully translated | Several modern editions (Hakluyt Society, Rockhill). Edition—names vary across printings. | Rockhill / Hakluyt |
| 1294–1328 John of Montecorvino |
Letters & reports | Translated excerpts | Survive in MGH and related collections; English excerpts available. | Sample letter PDF |
| 1314–1330s Odoric of Pordenone |
Itinerarium | Translated | Widely circulated; modern translations (Hakluyt, Yule). | Odoric editions |
| 1338–1353 John of Marignolli |
Chronicle fragments | Fragmentary | Survives in dispersed manuscripts; partial modern translations. | Silkroad project excerpts |
| c.1307–1332 Andrew of Perugia |
Letters from Quanzhou | Scattered | Survive in Vatican and other archives; few printed editions. | FarEastLatin note |
Other or Lost Medieval Texts in Latin and Related Sources
The following items are attested in chronicles, papal records, or later citations but survive only in fragments or are entirely lost. They are listed here for context and further study; none of these texts are known to exist in complete Latin manuscripts.
| Author / Origin | Description and Notes |
|---|---|
| Ascelin of Cremona (1247) |
Dominican envoy to the Mongols. His mission is reported by Matthew Paris in the Chronica Majora, but Ascelin’s own Latin report does not survive. Possibly incorporated in the Historia Tartarorum of Simon of St Quentin.
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| Letter of King Hetum I of Armenia (c.1260s) | Diplomatic correspondence to Pope Urban IV and Louis IX, describing Mongol alliances and Asian missions; preserved only through indirect citation in later chronicles. No Latin original extant. |
| Franciscan letters from Caffa and Tana (late 13th c.) | Mentioned in order annals and papal registers concerning the Black Sea missions; all primary Latin versions lost. Secondary discussion in Richard, La papauté et les missions d’Orient (1977), pp. 202–205. |
| Dominican correspondence from Persia (mid-13th c.) | Alluded to in the Annales Ordinis Praedicatorum; may have informed Simon of St Quentin’s account. No independent manuscript evidence. |
| Reports of the Franciscan Custody of Cathay (early 14th c.) |
Noted in papal documentation (e.g. John XXII’s bulls on the bishopric of Zaytun). Administrative rather than narrative sources.
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