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 dedicated to the military organization of ancient Rome. Guillaume du Choul reconstructs camps, soldiers, standards, armaments, baths and physical training of the Greeks and Romans through classical testimonies and ancient monuments. The volume is particularly spectacular for its rich set of woodcuts, with legionaries, standard-bearers, equipment and military structures. It also preserves the large folded plate with the plan of the Roman camp, an essential element and often missing in surviving copies. An important testimony of the Renaissance rediscovery of the Roman army, published in 1559.

ABSTRACT
Du Choul’s Discourse is a Renaissance treatise devoted to castrametatio, that is, the art of organizing and arranging Roman military camps, complemented by an in-depth discussion of baths and physical exercises practiced in the Greco-Roman world. The author reconstructs the structure of the legions, the different categories of soldiers, the standards, the banners, the equipment and the disposition of troops, accompanying the text with numerous woodcut illustrations. Beside the pages devoted to legionaries, there are pictures of velites, aquilifers, draconarii, military standards, the tribune and the elements characteristic of Roman material culture. Particularly significant is the large folded plate called Figura del Campo de Romani, which offers a schematic representation of the internal organization of the camp. The second part deals with baths, strigils, athletic 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 folded plate of the Roman camp, frequently absent in preserved copies, together with the numerous wood engravings in the text. The publication 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 old parchment binding and provenances further enhance the historical charm of the copy.

MARKET VALUE
Sixteenth‑century illustrated editions of Guillaume du Choul are sought after especially when they preserve the woodcuts intact and the large folded plate of the Roman camp. The presence of the plate constitutes in this case an important positive element, as does the indicated collation of 80 plates 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 fetch even higher results.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary or old full parchment stiff binding, with normal spots, warps and wear; binding with slight weakness at 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 folded woodcut plate with the “Figura del Campo de Romani” is present, showing the disposition of legions, streets, pavilions, praetorium, moats and camp structures. Beautiful Renaissance italic typography, with marginal notes printed. Internally the copy is overall well preserved, with faint browning, small stains and normal signs of use. On the endpapers and preliminaries there are inscriptions and notes from old owners. On the verso of the front board two ex libris are affixed, including that of the Biblioteca José María Catarineu, testifying to previous collecting provenance. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing includes AI Visualizations. Refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual condition. 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 did not concern only literature and philosophy, but also involved the concrete reconstruction of institutions, technologies and daily life of antiquity. Du Choul’s treatise represents one of the most interesting examples of this new antiquarian archaeology. The author seeks to visually reconstruct the Roman army through ancient texts, coins, reliefs, inscriptions and monuments, turning archaeological evidence into a true illustrated manual of Roman military civilization. Particularly important is the section devoted to castrametatio, a central theme in military history since the Roman camp constituted a rigorously planned structure where every legion, road, tent and command occupied a precise position. The sections on baths and exercises also show Renaissance interest in the daily life of the ancients, going beyond a mere narration of historical events.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Guillaume du Choul, born in Lyon towards the end of the 15th century and died in 1560, was a French antiquarian, scholar and collector, royal adviser and bailiff of the mountains of the 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 spread widely across Europe thanks largely to numerous illustrations, which transformed antiquarianism into a visual instrument able to concretely display clothing, arms, ceremonies, camps and costumes of the ancients.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The work first appeared in France in the 1550s and quickly achieved international success. The first French edition dates to the mid‑decade, while the Italian translation by Gabriele Simeoni appeared shortly after and contributed decisively to the work’s dissemination 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 Figura del Campo Romano. The work was reprinted again later in the sixteenth century, proof of the considerable interest aroused among scholars, soldiers, 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 edition of 1559 printed by Marc’Antonio Olmo of Guillaume du Choul’s celebrated antiquarian work on castrametatio, military discipline and the baths and exercises of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Italian translation by Gabriele Simeoni. The edition is characterized by its rich set of woodcuts and by the addition of the large folded plate depicting the arrangement of the Roman camp. The presence of this plate, frequently missing in incomplete copies, constitutes one of the most important bibliographic and collecting elements of the copy.