The Book of Michael of Rhodes a Fifteenth-Century Maritime Manuscript
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The Book of Michael of Rhodes A Fifteenth-Century Maritime Manuscript edited by Pamela O. Long, David McGee, and Alan M. Stahl Volume 3: Studies edited by Pamela O. Long transcription by Franco Rossi translation by Alan M. Stahl The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England ( 2009 Massachusetts Institute of Technology All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. MIT Press books may be purchased at special quantity discounts for business or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected] or write to Special Sales Department, The MIT Press, 55 Hayward Street, Cam- bridge, MA 02142. This book was set in Garamond Pro on 3B2 by Asco Typesetters, Hong Kong, with art preparation by Jay’s Publishers Services, Hanover, MA, and was printed and bound at Grafos, Barcelona, Spain. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Michael, of Rhodes, d. 1445. The book of Michael of Rhodes : a fifteenth-century maritime manuscript / edited by Pamela O. Long, David McGee, and Alan M. Stahl. v. cm. Contents: v. 1. Facsimile / edited by David McGee — v. 2. Transcription and translation / edited by Alan M. Stahl ; transcription by Franco Rossi and translated by Alan M. Stahl — v. 3. Studies / edited by Pamela O. Long. Text in English and Venetian Italian. ISBN 978-0-262-13503-0 (v. 1 : hbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-262-19590-4 (v. 2 : hbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-262-12308-2 (v. 3 : hbk. : alk. paper) 1. Michael, of Rhodes, d. 1445. 2. Naval art and science—Early works to 1800. 3. Navigation—Early works to 1800. 4. Mathematics—Early works to 1800. 5. Astrology—Early works to 1800. 6. Calendars—Italy—Early works to 1800. 7. Shipbuilding—Early works to 1800. I. Long, Pamela O. II. McGee, David, 1955– III. Stahl, Alan M., 1947– IV. Rossi, Franco. V. Title. V46.M56 2009 623.809450309023—dc22 2008008611 10987654321 Index to Volume 3 Page numbers in boldface indicate illustrations. abaco (calculating instrument), 115 Africa, 189 abbacus tradition, ix, 106–107, 115–146 Atlantic coast, 194 and language of prudence, 318–319 east, 194 masters, 29, 107, 120, 143, 145 Agnese, Battista (cartographer), 203, 206 MOR and, 3, 23, 241, 282, 286–288, 318–319 Aigues Mortes (southern France), 13, 46, 47, 68– Michael’s study in, 29, 106–107, 143, 146 69, 76 schools in, 107, 115–117, 118, 286–287 See also under voyages of merchant convoys; and time reckoning in MOR, 318–319 voyages of Michael of Rhodes See also Fibonacci; mathematical problems; Albania, 42, 47, 49, 58, 62, 70, 72 mathematics; Nicheletto, Maestro; Zibaldone sailing directions from, 209 da Canal Alberti, Leon Battista, 186–188 abbacus treatises, 3, 22, 288, 288 n14 Navis (unfinished, lost treatise), 188 algebra in, 126, 143, 145 paintings of ships, 188 calendar problems in, 286–287 relationship to engineers, craftsmen, and ship- as commercial notebooks, 117, 143–144 builders, 188 commercial problems in, 134, 143, 145 See also Giovanni da Fano as didactic texts, 117, 142–143 Alderney, 198 lunar calculations in, 312–313 Alegreto of Zara (Michael’s lodger), 94 Michael’s use of, 29, 142–143, 145 Alexander of Ville-Dieu (Massa compoti) recreational mathematics in, 138, 145 calculating hand of, 309 See also mathematical problems; nautical writings; Alexandria, 76, 195 individual treatises by name Collegio elections for officers on galleys to, 68–69 account books of galleys, 42–43, 83 as destination of Venetian convoys, 7, 13, 46, 50 for Condulmer’s flagship on imperial voyage as entrepot for spices, 8, 137 (1439), 43, 93–94 Michael’s voyages to, 13, 47–48, 72–73 of expenses for Flanders route ports in Corner threatened by Boucicaut, 11 Atlas, 201 See also under voyages of merchant convoys; Adriatic Sea, 13, 49, 54 voyages of Michael of Rhodes Balkan coast, 70, 90 Alfonso of Aragon, 189 sailing directions along coasts of, 209 algebra, 23, 125–131 southern, 197, 209 lack of modern symbols for, 120 towns on Dalmation coast, 42, 43 rules of, 116, 117, 119, 127 traversi (distances between ports, cities, and source of an abbacus treatise, 142 islands), 209 use of in problem solving, 121–123, 122, 132, Venetian control of, 9, 10, 45, 50, 58–59, 275 134–135, 136–137, 138–139 See also Dalmatia; Ragusa; Segna; Zara Al-Khwarizmi, Muhammad ibn Musa (mathemati- Aegean Sea, 7, 48, 49, 54 cian and astronomer, 9th century), 125–126, sailing directions along coasts of, 209 128, 129 Index to Volume 3 almanacs, 28, 101, 282, 288 Michael’s competition for position, 75, 77, 80–81, Alsace, 160 84, 85–87, 89–90, 92, 94, 95 Alto Luogo (modern Ayasuluk), 62 Michael’s heroism as, 76–77 alum, 8, 22 perks, 72 Alvise (brother-in-law of Michael of Rhodes), 78, 92 Pietro di Versi as candidate for, 97 Alvise da Mosto (navigator), 196 poverty of in old age, 82 Amelang, James, 4 salary on guard fleet, 72 anchorage, 194 See also Drachio Quinzio, Baldassarre; Michael of anchors, rudders, and other equipment Rhodes: officer positions on shipboard knowledge of needed by armiraio, 243 Arrianus, Flavius (Indica), 194 in MOR, 211, 215, 216, 217, 218, 239 Arsenal, 25, 271–279 Ancona, 202 delays in ship deliveries by, 93, 94 portolan charts from, 195 lists of ship dimensions at, 222 Andros, 62 manufacture of galleys in, 24, 40, 46, 49, 50, 51, Anianus (author, Carolingian period), 309 52, 271, 273 Anjou, count of Michael’s dealings with, 89, 93–94, 112 list of dimensions (1202) for galleys built by, 222, organization of, 24 262 n44, 264 records of, 278–279 Ankara, 50 requirement to build galleys in Palopano’s mold Antonio, Gregorio di, 90 and form, 275 Antonio da Corfu (comito), 67 separate divisions for great and light galleys, 271, Antwerp, 13, 39, 54 273 Apulia shipwrights in guard fleet’s protection of coast, 49, 59–60 Lero, Maffio (foreman, 14th century), 271 locale of Michael’s first employment on Venetian Nicolo`, Andrea di (armiraio of ), 278 galley, 6, 41 Protomagister called ‘‘the blond,’’ 93 sailing directions to, 26, 89, 196, 209 shipbuilders, 39, 52, 268, 271–274 See also Manfredonia Teodoro de Nicolo`, pre’ (head foreman, mid-16th Arabic century), 234 n37, 247 influence on names in star catalogs, 296 Zambon, Giacomello (foreman, 1381), 271 mathematics, 115–116, 120, 125–126 See also Baxon, Teodoro; Palopano family See also abbacus tradition; Al-Khwarizmi; Fibonacci as source for shipbuilding section of MOR, 275– archers, 41, 58, 64, 70 279 Cretan, for defense of Constantinople, 92 Arte del navigare (anon.), 186, 187 expenses paid for by Loredan, 69 Arte veneziana del navigare (Ms. C.M. 17, Museo killed in battle (1429), 77 Civico, Padua) Archipelago, 79 compared to Raxion de’ marineri, 288 dukes of the, 49, 62 marteloio, 208 Aristotle regulations for guard fleet, 203 concept of celestial influence, 294 time reckoning in, 281–282 difference between experience and skill, 319 astrological medicine, 27, 28, 147, 288 armaments, 24, 30, 179–180, 181, 182 See also bloodletting astrological influence and, 156 astrology, ix on galleys, 58 in abbacus treatises, 117, 144, 145 payers of, 64 as assumed knowledge, 27–28, 101, 147–148 See also archers horoscopes, 148, 154–155 armiraio, 47–48, 82, 83, 243–244 influence of celestial bodies on human lives, 32, Basilio Negro as, 278 117, 148, 153–155 in dispute concerning galley crews, 81–84 Michael’s knowledge of, 153–155 election of, 66–69, 84–87, 89–90 in MOR, 2, 27–28, 100, 147–166, 288 of guard fleet (not elected), 71–72 original lunaria based on, 292–293 knowledge required of, 243–244 planet placements and ascendants, 148, 153–166 346 The Book of Michael of Rhodes Index to Volume 3 problems of in Corner Atlas, 200 Portofino (1431), 78, 89 role in rational understanding of cosmos, 147–148 regulations for naval, 21 texts concerning, 147–148, 153–155 Tyrrhenian Sea (1432), 12–13, 78, 79 See also Liber introductorius; zodiac wounded and dead in, 76–77, 78 astronomy, 100, 101, 102, 144, 145, 196 See also under Michael of Rhodes: career as See also astrology; lunar cycles; moon; parapegma; mariner stars; time reckoning Baxon, Teodoro, 24, 39, 52, 89 n349, 276, 278 Athens, Venetian protectorate of, 51 election as foreman of light galleys, 271 atlases responsibilities at Arsenal, 271–273 atelier of Battista Agnese, 203 Bay of Biscay, 54 Benincasa (attr.; Deissmann 47), 202 Beccaro, Francesco (author of nautical chart), 200 Bianco (Biblioteca Marciana), 196, 202, 208, 209 See also Corner Atlas Corner, 200–201, 202, 203–204 Bede (De temporum ratione), 286–287 Douce 390 (Oxford), 206 computus manualis, 309 Vesconte (Museo Correr), 206 for finding number of hours of moonlight on a authorship given night, 305 of Michael of Rhodes, 2–3, 28–32, 99–109, 142– hand calculation of concurrents (compared to 143, 246 Michael’s), 315 modern concept of, 2, 100, 197 lunar and solar epacts, 314 of nautical texts, 197–198, 204–205 on tides in relation to lunar month, 314 original, in shipbuilding section of MOR, 275– See also Paschal table 280 Beirut, 76 of portolans and nautical charts, 197, 206–207 attack by Boucicaut, 11, 53 autobiographies, artisan, 4 Collegio elections for officers on galleys to, 68–69 See also book of Michael of Rhodes: autobio- voyage of merchant galleys to, 50, 94 graphical section voyage to by Michael of Rhodes, 43, 72 Averlino, Antonio.