AELIAN (AELIANUS TACITUS).

Eliano del Modo di Mettere in Ordinanza. Tradotto per Francesco Ferrosi. Con Privilegio.

Vinegia (Venedig), Gabriel Giolito de Ferrari e Fratelli, 1551. Cont. full limp vellum. Small fraction on back-cover cut away. (76),(4) pp. Printers large wood-cut device on title and at end. Old inscription at top of title. Positions Illustrated in the text by woodcut and letters. Bound with: FRONTINUS, SEXTUS JULIUS. Astutie militari di Sesto Ivlio Frontino huomo consolare, di Li Famosi et eccellenti Capitani Romani, Greci, Barbari, & Hesterni. In Venetia (Venedig), Per Comin de Trino, 1541. 144 pp. With wood-cut initials. Printers wood-engr. device on title.

Aelian was a Greek military writer of the 2nd century A.D., resident in Rome. His military treatise is dedicated to Hadrian. It is a handbook of Greek, i.e. Macedonian, drill and tactics as practised by the Hellenistic successors of Alexander the Great. The work exercised a great influence. The translations made in the 16th century formed the groundwork of numerous books on drill and tactics. The first edition of the Greek text was issued by Robortelli in Venice 1552 - the Italian edition as here a year before. Recorded in Conrad Walther: Versuch...Militair=Bibliothek. 1783 p. 7 (x), and by Rumpf: Allg. Literatur d. Kriegswiss. 1824, No 321. - The work by Frontinus is third Italian edition (Graesse II:640), and is a translation of the authors military work which consists of military Stratagems from Greek and Roman History (Strategematcon libri III). He was also the author of De aquis urbis Romae (Romes water-supply) as he was appointed to superintendent of the aquaducts. - Both works of greatest rarity, and internally in fine condition.

Order-nr.: 13586