Du Choul - Castrametatione e Bagni Antichi - 1559

ROME AT WAR: THE RENAISSANCE Rediscovery of the Roman Army, Camps and Military Life Rare sixteenth-century edition of one of the most fascinating antiquarian treatises devoted to the military organization of ancient Rome. Guillaume du Choul reconstructs encampments, soldiers, standards, armaments, baths and physical exercises of the Greeks and Romans through classical testimonies and ancient monuments. The volume is particularly spectacular for its rich set of wood engravings, with legionaries, standards-bearers, equipment and military structures. It also preserves the large folding plate with the plan of the Roman camp, an essential element often missing in surviving copies. An important testimony of the Renaissance rediscovery of the Roman army, published in 1559. ABSTRACT The Discourse of Guillaume du Choul is a Renaissance treatise dedicated to castrametatio, i.e., the art of organizing and arranging Roman military camps, supplemented by a thorough discussion of the baths and the physical exercises practiced in the Greco-Roman world. The author reconstructs the structure of the legions, the different categories of soldiers, the insignia, standards, equipment and disposition of the troops, accompanying the text with numerous woodcut illustrations. Beside the pages devoted to the legionaries, there are depictions of velites, aquilifers, draconarii, military standards, the tribune and the elements characteristic of Roman material culture. Particularly significant is the large folding plate entitled Figura del Campo de Romani, which offers a schematic representation of the internal organization of the camp. The second part, instead, deals with baths, strigils, gymnastic activities and physical practices of the ancients. WHY TO BUY A copy of strong interest for collectors of militaria, Roman history, archaeology, Renaissance antiquarianism and 16th-century illustrated books. The main strength is the presence of the large folding plate of the Roman camp, frequently absent in preserved copies, together with the numerous woodcuts in the text. The edition belongs to the early phase of Italian editorial fortune of Du Choul’s work and is explicitly presented as a revised and corrected version by the author, with the addition of the figure of the camp. The handsome italic type, the iconographic apparatus, the antique parchment binding and provenance attestations further increase the historical charm of the specimen. MARKET VALUE The illustrated sixteenth-century editions of Guillaume du Choul are sought after especially when they preserve the engravings and the large folding plate of the Roman encampment in full. The presence of the plate constitutes in this case an important positive element, as does the indicated collation of 80 leaves plus 3 final leaves and the antique binding. For this copy, an indicative antiquarian range of €1,000–1,700 seems reasonable; in a specialist sale of illustrated books, archaeology or Renaissance militaria, a complete and well-presented copy could achieve even higher results. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION Contemporary or antique full parchment binding, with typical stains, waves and wear; binding with slight weakness to the inner hinges. Numerous woodcuts in the text, some full-page, depicting Roman soldiers, velites, aquilifers, standard-bearers, tribunes, equipment, helmets, strigils and other elements of Roman military and civil life. The large folding woodcut plate with the “Figura del Campo de Romani” is present, showing the arrangement of the legions, streets, pavilions, praetorium, moats and camp structures. Beautiful Renaissance italic typography, with marginal notes printed. Internally the copy is overall well preserved, with light browning, small stains and normal signs of use. On the back paste-downs and preliminary leaves there are inscriptions and notes from old owners. On the verso of the front board are affixed two ex libris, including one from the Biblioteca José María Catarineu, testifying to earlier collecting provenance. In old books, with a long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI Visualizations. Please refer to the original photographs to verify the actual condition of the object. The images are an integral part of the description. Pp. (2); 2nn; 160; 6nn; (4). FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR Discorso del S. Guglielmo Choul sulla Castrametatione e Bagni Antichi [Padua], appresso Marc’Antonio Olmo, 1559. Guillaume du Choul. CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE During the Renaissance the rediscovery of classical sources concerned not only literature and philosophy, but also the concrete reconstruction of ancient institutions, technologies and daily life. Du Choul’s treatise represents one of the most interesting examples of this new antiquarian archaeology. The author aims to visually reconstruct the Roman army through ancient texts, coins, reliefs, inscriptions and monuments, turning archaeological testimonies into a true illustrated manual of Roman military civilization. Of particular importance is the section dedicated to castrametatio, a central theme in military history since the Roman camp was a rigorously planned structure where each legion, road, tent and command occupied a precise position. The sections devoted to baths and exercises also show Renaissance interest in the daily life of the ancients, going beyond mere narration of historical events. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR Guillaume du Choul, born in Lyon toward the end of the 15th century and died in 1560, was a French antiquarian, scholar and collector, royal counselor and bailli of the mountains of Dauphiné. He belonged to that generation of Renaissance scholars who sought to reconstruct Roman civilization by comparing literary sources with material testimonies. He owned a significant collection of coins and antiquities, from which he drew many elements used in his works. His output enjoyed wide European diffusion thanks largely to numerous illustrations, which transformed antiquarianism into a visual instrument capable of concretely showing clothing, arms, ceremonies, camps and costumes of the ancients. PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION The work originally appeared in France in the 1550s and quickly achieved international success. The first French edition dates to the middle of the decade, while the Italian translation by Gabriele Simeoni appeared shortly after and contributed decisively to the dissemination of the work in the Italian publishing world. The Padua edition of Marc’Antonio Olmo of 1559 thus belongs to the very first phase of the Italian circulation of the text and is presented on the title page as “novamente revisto & ricorretto dall’istesso autore,” with the important addition of the figure of the Campo Romano. The work was reprinted again later in the 16th century, evidence of the significant interest aroused among scholars, military men, antiquarians and collectors. The woodcuts played a fundamental role in its editorial fortune, offering Renaissance readers a true visual encyclopedia of ancient military life. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES Padua 1559 edition printed by Marc’Antonio Olmo of the celebrated antiquarian work of Guillaume du Choul dedicated to castrametatio, to military discipline and to the baths and exercises of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Italian translation by Gabriele Simeoni. The edition is distinguished by its rich apparatus of woodcuts and by the addition of the large folding plate depicting the arrangement of the Roman camp. The presence of such a plate, frequently missing in incomplete copies, constitutes one of the most important bibliographic and collecting elements of this exemplar.

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