Bellifortis ("Strong in War", "War Fortifications") is the first fully illustrated manual of military technology written by Konrad Kyeser and dating from the start of the 15th century.[1] It summarises material from classical writers on military technology, like Vegetius' De Re Militari and Frontinus' anecdotal Strategemata, emphasising poliorcetics, or the art of siege warfare, but treating magic as a supplement to the military arts; it is "saturated with astrology", remarked Lynn White, Jr. in a review of the first facsimile edition.[2]
A squire holding the victory-bringing iron head of Alexander the Great's spear called "Meufaton" (Bellifortis c. 1405)A giant war carriage supposed to have been invented by Alexander the Great (Bellifortis)Warriors taking cover behind a shield (Clm 30150 manuscript)
Konrad Kyeser wrote his treatise between 1402 and 1405 when he was exiled from Prague to his hometown of Eichstätt.[3] Many of the illustrations for the book were made by German illuminators who were sent to Eichstätt after their own ousting from the Prague scriptorium.[4] The work, which was not printed until 1967, survived in a single original presentation manuscript on parchment at University of Göttingen,[5] bearing the date 1405, and in numerous copies, excerpts and amplifications, both of the text and of the illustrations, made in German lands.
DesignEdit
Bellifortis was written in Latin and contained many elaborate illustrations of war weaponry. The manual discusses machines and technology that were old and new. It described weapons such as trebuchets, battering rams, movable portable bridges, cannons, rockets, chariots, ships, mills, scaling ladders, incendiary devices, crossbows, and instruments of torture.[4] The portrait of the author is called by its modern editor the first realistic portrait of an author since Antiquity.[6]
Kyeser’s viewpoint was that warfare in the broadest sense was most effective if looked at from all angles, which included astrology and sorcery. His manual presented the technology of the art of war through the association of education and Latin letters. The book was of a large expensive format. It had elaborate illustrations and lavish drawings of a large number of war devices and machines. The treatise was designed more for a prince or king than for an engineer. Kyeser believed his war manual would make other armies run in all directions.[3]
His treatise often made reference to antiquity, especially the war tactics of Alexander the Great. He writes that Alexander had many war technical abilities. In one illustration he shows Alexander with a giant spearhead-like artifact in his hands with the mysterious letters: MEUFATON. In another illustration Alexander is shown as the supposed inventor of a very large war carriage. Kyeser writes that Alexander was not only a great inventor of war devices but was able to use them himself. Alexander is portrayed with magical abilities.[3]
Konrad dedicated his finished treatise to the weak Ruprecht III in a bitter response to his exile. He emphasizes in the dedication the relationship of technical knowledge to technical skills. He writes of the German soldiers, "Just as the sky shines with stars, Germany shines forth with liberal disciplines, is embellished with mechanics, and adorned with diverse arts."[3]
At the end of the treatise, Kyeser gives a markedly unusual appearance of himself. He portrays himself as a dying worried person. He even provides his own epitaph, "May my soul be joined to your very high one."[3]
LegacyEdit
The Bellifortis is survived in 45 manuscripts and was either copied completely or partly, and sometimes amplified, in several later manuscripts. The most famous are the Thott manuscript of Hans Talhoffer of the 15th century,[citation needed] but there are editions of Vegetius' De Re Militari from 1535 in Latin[7] and 1536 in French,[8] that contain pictures clearly copied from the Bellifortis (with more up-to-date clothing for the soldiers), to augment the original text-only treatise by Vegetius. In the Renaissance in Italy Bellifortis was well-known and widespread. The result of new research shows that also Leonardo da Vinci knew the work of Kyeser and that several of Leonardos technical illustrations are based on the Bellifortis.[9]
NotesEdit
^Anzovin, Steven et al, Famous First Facts, International Edition — A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries, and Inventions in World History, H. W. Wilson Company (2000), p. 263 item 4117: "The first illustrated manual of military technology was Bellifortis, written and illustrated by Conrad Kyeser of Eichstatt, Germany, and covering a thousand years of European weaponry."
^Conrad Kyeser aus Eichstätt, Bellifortis, vol. I, facsimile edition in color, edited, with German translation, introduction and notes by Götz Quarg (Düsseldorf) 1967; extensively reviewed by Lynn White, Jr, in Technology and Culture, 10,.3 (July 1969: 436–441)
^Fl. Vegetii Renati viri illustris De re militari libri quatuor. Sixti Iulii frontini viri consularis de Strategematis libri totidem. Aeliani de instruendis Aciebus liber unus. Modesti de vocabulis rei militaris liber unus. Item pictura bellicae cxx passim Vegetio adjectae. Collata sunt omnia ad antiquos codices, maximè B V D AE I, quod testabitur Aelianus. Parisiis : Christiani Wecheli, 1 vol. ([8]-279-[1] p.) : ill. ; in-fol, 1535, Read online
^Du faict de guerre et fleur de chevalerie, quatre livres, Flavius Vegetius Renatus Vegèce, chez Chrestien Wechel, Paris 1536 Read online (pictures only)
Anzovin, Steven et al., Famous First Facts, International Edition — A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries, and Inventions in World History, H. W. Wilson Company (2000), ISBN0-8242-0958-3
Lefèvre, Wolfgang, Picturing Machines 1400–1700, MIT Press, 2004, ISBN0-262-12269-3
Long, Pamela O., Openness, Secrecy, Authorship: Technical Arts and the Culture of Knowledge from Antiquity to the Renaissance, JHU Press, 2001, ISBN0-8018-6606-5
Regina Cermann: Astantes stolidos sic immutabo stultos - Von nachlässigen Schreibern und verständigen Buchmalern. Zum Zusammenspiel von Text und bild in Konrad Kyesers Bellifortis. In: Wege zum illuminierten Buch. Herstellungsbedingungen für Buchmalerei in Mittelalter und früher Neuzeit. Wien 2014, S. 148-176, ISBN978-3-205-79491-2, Online: https://e-book.fwf.ac.at/detail_object/o:521
External linksEdit
Media related to Bellifortis at Wikimedia Commons
Bellifortis-PDF Goethe Universitaet Frankfurt a. Main
Fragment at the Library and Information Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
October 19, 2023
bellifortis, strong, fortifications, first, fully, illustrated, manual, military, technology, written, konrad, kyeser, dating, from, start, 15th, century, summarises, material, from, classical, writers, military, technology, like, vegetius, militari, frontinus. Bellifortis Strong in War War Fortifications is the first fully illustrated manual of military technology written by Konrad Kyeser and dating from the start of the 15th century 1 It summarises material from classical writers on military technology like Vegetius De Re Militari and Frontinus anecdotal Strategemata emphasising poliorcetics or the art of siege warfare but treating magic as a supplement to the military arts it is saturated with astrology remarked Lynn White Jr in a review of the first facsimile edition 2 A squire holding the victory bringing iron head of Alexander the Great s spear called Meufaton Bellifortis c 1405 A giant war carriage supposed to have been invented by Alexander the Great Bellifortis Warriors taking cover behind a shield Clm 30150 manuscript Contents 1 History 2 Design 3 Dedication 4 Legacy 5 Notes 6 Bibliography 7 External linksHistory EditKonrad Kyeser wrote his treatise between 1402 and 1405 when he was exiled from Prague to his hometown of Eichstatt 3 Many of the illustrations for the book were made by German illuminators who were sent to Eichstatt after their own ousting from the Prague scriptorium 4 The work which was not printed until 1967 survived in a single original presentation manuscript on parchment at University of Gottingen 5 bearing the date 1405 and in numerous copies excerpts and amplifications both of the text and of the illustrations made in German lands Design EditBellifortis was written in Latin and contained many elaborate illustrations of war weaponry The manual discusses machines and technology that were old and new It described weapons such as trebuchets battering rams movable portable bridges cannons rockets chariots ships mills scaling ladders incendiary devices crossbows and instruments of torture 4 The portrait of the author is called by its modern editor the first realistic portrait of an author since Antiquity 6 Kyeser s viewpoint was that warfare in the broadest sense was most effective if looked at from all angles which included astrology and sorcery His manual presented the technology of the art of war through the association of education and Latin letters The book was of a large expensive format It had elaborate illustrations and lavish drawings of a large number of war devices and machines The treatise was designed more for a prince or king than for an engineer Kyeser believed his war manual would make other armies run in all directions 3 His treatise often made reference to antiquity especially the war tactics of Alexander the Great He writes that Alexander had many war technical abilities In one illustration he shows Alexander with a giant spearhead like artifact in his hands with the mysterious letters MEUFATON In another illustration Alexander is shown as the supposed inventor of a very large war carriage Kyeser writes that Alexander was not only a great inventor of war devices but was able to use them himself Alexander is portrayed with magical abilities 3 Dedication Edit nbsp Springald illustration from Konrad Kyeser s book BellifortisKonrad dedicated his finished treatise to the weak Ruprecht III in a bitter response to his exile He emphasizes in the dedication the relationship of technical knowledge to technical skills He writes of the German soldiers Just as the sky shines with stars Germany shines forth with liberal disciplines is embellished with mechanics and adorned with diverse arts 3 At the end of the treatise Kyeser gives a markedly unusual appearance of himself He portrays himself as a dying worried person He even provides his own epitaph May my soul be joined to your very high one 3 Legacy EditThe Bellifortis is survived in 45 manuscripts and was either copied completely or partly and sometimes amplified in several later manuscripts The most famous are the Thott manuscript of Hans Talhoffer of the 15th century citation needed but there are editions of Vegetius De Re Militari from 1535 in Latin 7 and 1536 in French 8 that contain pictures clearly copied from the Bellifortis with more up to date clothing for the soldiers to augment the original text only treatise by Vegetius In the Renaissance in Italy Bellifortis was well known and widespread The result of new research shows that also Leonardo da Vinci knew the work of Kyeser and that several of Leonardos technical illustrations are based on the Bellifortis 9 Notes Edit Anzovin Steven et al Famous First Facts International Edition A Record of First Happenings Discoveries and Inventions in World History H W Wilson Company 2000 p 263 item 4117 The first illustrated manual of military technology was Bellifortis written and illustrated by Conrad Kyeser of Eichstatt Germany and covering a thousand years of European weaponry Conrad Kyeser aus Eichstatt Bellifortis vol I facsimile edition in color edited with German translation introduction and notes by Gotz Quarg Dusseldorf 1967 extensively reviewed by Lynn White Jr in Technology and Culture 10 3 July 1969 436 441 a b c d e Long pp 105 108 a b Lefevre pp 67 72 Codex Ms philos 63 four early drafts of the finished text 1402 04 also survive Quarg noted in White 1969 438 Fl Vegetii Renati viri illustris De re militari libri quatuor Sixti Iulii frontini viri consularis de Strategematis libri totidem Aeliani de instruendis Aciebus liber unus Modesti de vocabulis rei militaris liber unus Item pictura bellicae cxx passim Vegetio adjectae Collata sunt omnia ad antiquos codices maxime B V D AE I quod testabitur Aelianus Parisiis Christiani Wecheli 1 vol 8 279 1 p ill in fol 1535 Read online Du faict de guerre et fleur de chevalerie quatre livres Flavius Vegetius Renatus Vegece chez Chrestien Wechel Paris 1536 Read online pictures only Marc van den Broek 2019 Leonardo da Vinci Spirits of Invention A Search for Traces Hamburg A TE M ISBN 978 3 00 063700 1Bibliography EditAnzovin Steven et al Famous First Facts International Edition A Record of First Happenings Discoveries and Inventions in World History H W Wilson Company 2000 ISBN 0 8242 0958 3 Marc van den Broek Leonardo da Vincis Erfindungsgeister Eine Spurensuche Mainz 2018 ISBN 978 3 961760 45 9 Lefevre Wolfgang Picturing Machines 1400 1700 MIT Press 2004 ISBN 0 262 12269 3 Long Pamela O Openness Secrecy Authorship Technical Arts and the Culture of Knowledge from Antiquity to the Renaissance JHU Press 2001 ISBN 0 8018 6606 5 Regina Cermann Astantes stolidos sic immutabo stultos Von nachlassigen Schreibern und verstandigen Buchmalern Zum Zusammenspiel von Text und bild in Konrad Kyesers Bellifortis In Wege zum illuminierten Buch Herstellungsbedingungen fur Buchmalerei in Mittelalter und fruher Neuzeit Wien 2014 S 148 176 ISBN 978 3 205 79491 2 Online https e book fwf ac at detail object o 521External links Edit nbsp Media related to Bellifortis at Wikimedia Commons Bellifortis PDF Goethe Universitaet Frankfurt a Main Fragment at the Library and Information Centre Hungarian Academy of Sciences Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bellifortis amp oldid 1160230562, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
