THE COLLECTION OF RENAISSANCE MILITARY ARTS AND EXERCISES OF PIETRO MONTE A TRANSLATION OF THE EXERCITIORUM ATQUE ARTIS MILITARIS COLLECTANEA BY MIKE PRENDERGAST AND INGRID SPERBER THE COLLECTION OF RENAISSANCE MILITARY ARTS AND EXERCISES OF PIETRO MONTE Translation © 2018 Mike Prendergast Translation by Mike Prendergast and Dr. Ingrid Sperber. This translation is freely available for non-commercial use. THE TRANSLATORS MIKE PRENDERGAST Mike Prendergast has been researching, practising and teaching historical strategy and martial arts since 1999. His main focus is on the art of fencing of Renaissance Italy. Initially studying Bolognese fencing, he moved to specialise in the system of Fiore dei Liberi (c. 1410) and the rapier style of Nicoletto Giganti (1606), before embarking on his study of Monte. Having initially started with Japanese martial arts, Mike discovered historical European fencing through the international medievalist group, the Society for Creative Anachronism, where he has received the society's highest award for research, the Laurel. In 2015 he was appointed one of the three premier Masters of Defence for the European branch of the society. Mike instructs in rapier and longsword with SCA Dun in Mara and interprets and teaches the martial arts of Pietro Monte, as chief instructor with the Historical Combat Academy, in Dublin, Ireland. He also teaches internationally at Historical European Martial Arts events and hosted the 2015 International Rapier Seminar. Mike competes internationally in tournaments and has taken medals in a variety of weapon forms including gold in rapier and sword & buckler. He also trained for several years in Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, the traditional Japanese style of swordsmanship founded by the famous duellist and strategist Miyamoto Musashi. Mike teaches in the field of architecture and sustainable construction, and has trained as a NLP Master Practitioner and Personal/Business Strategist and Performance Coach with the Irish Institute of NLP. He enjoys combining his enthusiasm for research and coaching in both in his professional teaching and in martial arts. INGRID SPERBER Ingrid Sperber is a Swedish Latinist who received her PhD- degree at the university of Uppsala in 2005 for a dissertation on the Latin Lives of Irish saints. She has mainly worked on Irish and British Latin from the medieval and early modern periods. She is currently employed by the National Library in Oslo, working on a dictionary of Norwegian medieval Latin. As well as her work on this translation, Ingrid is also the co-author of a 2014 paper on Monte along with her husband, Toon Van Houdt - The Author as Translator. The Struggle with Language and Authority in Pietro del Monte’s De dignoscendis hominibus (Milan, 1492) and Exercitiorum collectanea (Milan, 1509). AUTHOR'S PREFACE This book represents the culmination of painstaking if enjoyable work, which extended over several years. It has been my great pleasure to work with my co-translator Ingrid, who brought a lively enthusiasm for the project along with her heavyweight latinist credentials. We are releasing this book here initially in its digital form, in advance of our planned printed book release in May 2018. Please check back later on my website for updates on Monte's art and work. Also both Ingrid and myself would appreciate comments and thoughts on this edition. You may leave feedback and suggestions also at my website at: http://mikeprendergast.ie/monte/ Finally, please note that Ingrid and I worked together on the first draft of the translation, however, the later edits are my responsibilty, as are any errors! :-) - Mike Prendergast Dublin, Ireland, January 2017 INTRODUCTION Pietro Monte (1457–1509 ) is a fascinating figure who seems to walk through the shadows on the edge of the great age of knowledge and learning that was the Italian Renaissance. It is debated whether he was Spanish or Italian by birth, he uses both of these languages, as well as Latin in his collectanea. He appears to have been one of the most famous masters of arms of his time. He lived as a condottieri, a professional military man in an age of war. We know that he served, among others, Galeazzo da Sanseverino, an Italian-French condottieri in the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan. He occasionally emerges from obscurity in mentions from notables such as Baldassare Castiglione, author of The Book of the Courtier and he is even referenced by Leonardo Da Vinci, as a master to consult about the flight of darts (What could Monte have taught Leonardo? See especially Book II, Chapter 131 'On the weapon which we call the dart in the vernacular.'). Monte's expertise ranges far beyond ballistics, however, and his fascinating 'collection' gives an insight into the strategy, philosophy and fighting techniques of Renaissance Europe. All of this is written from the point of view of a practical man, a warrior and a leader of men, who died in battle, leading the Venetian rearguard against the French at the Battle of Agnadello. Monte is credited with writing at least four treatises pertaining to strategy and combat: De Dignoscendis Hominibus (1492) and three published posthumously De Singular Cert amine Sive Dissentione, De veritate unius legis et falsitate sectatrum and this volume which you have here in translation - Exercitiorum Atque Artis Militaris Collectanea. This volume is divided into three books. Book I is, in general, about setting out the principles of combat and strategy. Book II gives more practical details, which will be of particular interest to those recreating historical combat techniques, including armoured and mounted combat. Book III is unique, as it relates to large scale strategy and warfare - a Renaissance Italian Art of War, written by a general with vast experience in the field. I will not attempt to delve more into the contents of this volume in this brief introduction. Monte's world awaits your exploration in the pages that follow. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank in particular, Agnieszka 'Uisce' Jakubczyk, whose support, not to mention editing, has been invaluable to me during the production of this book. Also, my brother, John Prendergast, who not only introduced me to swordsmanship in the first place, but who also has been of huge support in helping me bring this project to realisation. Special thanks and appreciation go to to Dr. Timothy Dawson, who contributed his expertise on medieval saddles and equestrianism. Thanks also to Christy Mackenzie and Tom McKinnell, for helping me with my queries on anatomy of man and beast. Many thanks as well to the members of the Historical Combat Academy, Dublin, past and present, for accompanying me and supporting me on my journey to interpret Monte's martial arts and helping me gain a deeper understanding of his system. Including, in no particular order: Wyatt Renaud, Réka Tóth, Lisa Vitalo, Phil MacFadden, Chris Kinsella, Tamás Tóth, Géza Sebestyén. Finally, there are always those who have walked the path before us and who inspire us. I will name two in particular: Bill Wilson, for early encouragement and showing me what life it is possible to conjour out of old books. Guy Windsor, for early and continued inspiration and guidance on the path of Italian martial arts. To you all, my thanks. *salute* - Mike Prendergast PIETRO MONTE, COLLECTANEA, INDEX BOOK 1 Collectaneorum Libri Primi Prologus 1 Uocabulorum expositio Setting forth the terms 2 Quamobrem aduertendum sit quod non possumus per sola verba artes mechanicas seu manuales prorsus adiscere Why it must be noted that we cannot learn mechanical or manual arts directly through words only 3 De palestra versutiis ac temperantia quibus in ea vti debemus On the wrestling ground and the cunning and the moderation which we must use in it 4 De palestra singulis manibus apprehendendo quod est per dexteram aut sinistram Of the wrestling ground: seizing with a single hand, that is, by the right or the left 5 De luctatione a collari sine agagathe capiendo On collar wrestling or seizing well 6 De modo luctandi singulis brachijs On the way to wrestle with a single arm 7 De modo luctandi brachijs equaliter impartitis The way to wrestle with both arms equally 8 De apprehensione per latus On seizing by the side 9 De apprehensione per tergum On seizing by the back 10 Regula versutiarum electiorum et de apprehensionum mutatione A rule on cunning choices and change of grips 11 De modo vniuersali atque particulari quo in armis vti debemus On the universal and particular way which we should use in arms 12 De ludo aze ac de quibusdam ictibus in eo principalibus On play with the poleaxe and certain principal blows with it 13 Qualiter damnosum sit nos firmos manere dum armis decertamus How it is injurious to us to remain firm while fighting with weapons 14 De ludo ensis duarum manuum On play with a sword for two hands 15 Quonam modo arma pro defensione esse debeat In what way defensive weapons should be handled 16 Quales arme eligende sint ad conflictum fortium virorum et quales ad debilium What kind of weapons to choose for a fight between strong men, and what kind for the weak 17 Qualiter reparare debemus cum longam armam contra breuem aut si breuem tenemus contra longam How we should parry with a long weapon against a short one, or if we hold a short one against a long one 18 De ludo pugionis On play with the dagger 19 De modo iaculandi siue proijciendi On the method to cast or throw forth 20 De modo proijciendi vectem On the method to throw a shaft 21 Qualiter lapidem paruulum porrecturi simus How