Leo VI (Byzantine Emperor) & Pigafetta (Filippo, translator)

Trattato brieve dello schierare in ordinanza gli eserciti et dell'apparecchiamento della guerra, first edition in Italian, woodcut printer’s device on title, initials, and ornaments, some dustsoiling and occasional spotting, mostly towards end, light toning in places, ownership note of Giulio Campiello on front freendpaper, limp vellum, ink title to spine, remains of leather ties, stained and rubbed, [D'Alaya, p.36; Olschki, Choix, VII, 10282; Graesse IV, 163; Sticca, p.125; Cockle 537], 4to, Francesco de' Franceschi, Venice, 1586.

*** First Italian edition (the first in Latin, by John Cheke, had appeared in Basel in 1554) of the classical military work by Leo VI, the ‘sage’, with the important notes of Filippo Pigafetta, brother of that Antonio who was Magellan's travel companion and famous narrator of his travels. The work concerns army formation and deployment, infantry and chivalry training and battle deployment and logistics.