Vegetius, Renatus Publius Flavius
De re militari libri quatuor
1553, Paris (Parisiis), Apud Christianum Wechelum (Chrestien Wechel)
Early edition of one of the most famous military guides ever written. Drawing on earlier Republican and early Imperial sources, Vegetius distilled Roman military practice into a clear, systematic treatise emphasizing discipline, training, logistics, and strategic prudence. Rediscovered in the Middle Ages, his work became a foundational text for commanders from Charlemagne to Machiavelli, shaping European military thought for over a millennium, well beyond the introduction of gunpowder. First printed as an incunable in Utrecht in 1473, and subsequently in numerous editions that testify to its enduring success, it appears here in the first edition printed in France by Christian Wechel, the prominent Parisian publisher. In this issue, Vegetius’s renowned military treatise is published together with the works of the Roman strategists Frontinus and Aelianus. The text and 124 brilliant woodcuts together form one of the most complete accounts of classical military practice as employed during the height of the Roman Empire, a system foundational to its power. This richly illustrated edition includes detailed representations of ancient siege engines and war machines, and notably features seven early depictions of diving bells, weighted suits, and related underwater apparatus. A landmark in the history of the art of war, military engineering, and classical scholarship.
Vegetius’s work is divided into four books, each systematically exploring the foundations of Roman warfare. The first treats the recruitment, training, and discipline of troops; the second, the structure and service of the legions; the third, strategy and battlefield tactics; and the fourth, siegecraft and fortifications. The accompanying 124 woodcuts are among the most striking of the sixteenth century. They present, in remarkable detail, the design and operation of ancient war machinery (battering rams, catapults, siege towers, and portable bridges) set against carefully drawn camp and battlefield settings. Of particular note are seven extraordinary illustrations showing diving bells, weighted suits, and other underwater contrivances, visual evidence of early experimentation with submersion. Other plates portray fortified cities, defensive walls, and the geometric layout of Roman military camps, as well as scenes of naval combat and the disciplined maneuvers of soldiers in formation. The figures of standard-bearers, trumpeters, and engineers, rendered with precision and rhythm (but interestingly dressed à la mode of the sixteenth century), complement Vegetius’s emphasis on the harmony between order, training, and mechanical invention.
An all-time blockbuster of military warfare, with over 100 theatrical plates. Vegetius managed to make war machines fascinating even to the most peaceful soul: catapults, underwater diving bells, siege towers - all choreographed like a Roman ballet of strategy and spectacle.
pp. [1] f.e., [8], 279, [1], [1] r.e.
Bound in contemporary rigid vellum in very good condition; two red leather labels on the spine with gilt title. The upper margin of the entire volume suffered damp (possibly mold) damage, which has been carefully and expertly restored, with repairs where necessary. The flaw affects the running title, which nonetheless is always complete; the last part of the volume is more affected than the rest. Some pages are misnumbered, but the quires are correct. With 124 fresh woodcuts in the pagination, of which 121 are full-page, and two woodcut Pegasus printer’s devices on the title and final leaf. Although the restored damage in the upper margins is clearly a defect, the volume retains considerable charm, thanks to the otherwise fine condition of the plates.
Dimensions (inches): 12 1/4 x 8 1/2 x 3/4
Flavius Vegetius Renatus (late 4th–early 5th century AD) was a Roman bureaucrat and military theorist. Little is known of his life, though he appears to have served in the imperial administration, perhaps under Theodosius I.
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