. ▁In ▁this ▁period ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁started ▁colon ising ▁Europe ▁beyond ▁the ▁Empire , ▁into ▁Pr uss ia ▁and ▁S iles ia . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁a ▁Ven et ian ▁expl orer ▁named ▁Marco ▁Pol o ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁travel ▁the ▁Sil k ▁Road ▁to ▁China . ▁Western ers ▁became ▁more ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁when ▁Pol o ▁documented ▁his ▁travel s ▁in ▁Il ▁Mil ione . ▁He ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁numerous ▁Christian ▁mission aries ▁to ▁the ▁East , ▁such ▁as ▁William ▁of ▁Rub ruck , ▁Giovanni ▁da ▁P ian ▁del ▁Car pine , ▁André ▁de ▁Long j ume au , ▁Od or ic ▁of ▁P orden one , ▁Giovanni ▁de ' ▁Mar ign ol li , ▁Giovanni ▁di ▁Monte ▁Cor v ino , ▁and ▁other ▁trav ellers ▁such ▁as ▁Nic col ò ▁de ' ▁Cont i . ▁ ▁Science ▁ ▁Philosoph ical ▁and ▁scientific ▁teaching ▁of ▁the ▁Early ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁few ▁copies ▁and ▁comment aries ▁of ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁texts ▁that ▁remained ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe ▁after ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁Most ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁studied ▁only ▁in ▁Latin ▁as ▁knowledge ▁of ▁Greek ▁was ▁very ▁limited . ▁ ▁This ▁scenario ▁changed ▁during ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century . ▁The ▁intellectual ▁rev ital ization ▁of ▁Europe ▁started ▁with ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁medieval ▁univers ities . ▁The ▁increased ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁world ▁in ▁Spain ▁and ▁Sic ily ▁during