De re militari libri quatuor. Post omnes omnium editiones, ope veterum librorum correcti, a Godescalco Stewechio Heusdano. Accesserunt Sex. Iuli Frontini Strategemato in libri quatuor: Ælianus De instruendis aciebus: Modestus De vocabulis rei militaris: Castrametatio Romanorum ex historiis Polybii. Accessit seorsum eiusdem G. Stewechi in Fl. Vegetium Commentarius. Adiuncta eiusdem G. Stewechi & Francisci Modi, in Iul. Frontinum coniectanea, & notae

Second Plantin edition with Steewech's commentaries, after that of 1585. A printer's device on both title pages. Fine and esteemed edition.
Illustrated with 51 woodcuts in and outside the text (military machines, military manoeuvres...) and with a folding plate showing the organization of a Roman camp.
The commentaries by Stewachius (1557-1588) have a particular title page: Godescalci Stewechii Commentarius ad Flavi Vegeti Renati, De re militari libros. Accesserunt eiusdem G. Stewechii & Francisci Modii... The text of Polybius (book VI of his History) was translated into Latin by Janus Lascaris (1445-1535). The military dictionary Modesti libellus De vocabulis rei militaris was compiled by Pomponius Laetus (1425-1497, or Leto) and his students based on Vegetius's work.

Contemporary limp vellum binding with overlapping edges. Traces of ties. Black title in pen. Handsome copy. Binder's error: pages 49-64 have been placed after page 32, so that after page 48 comes page 65.

Vegetius was a Roman military writer of the second half of the 4th century, and apart from the fact that he was a civil servant of the Empire, little is known about his life. We have from this author a treatise in five parts: the first deals with recruits and recruitment, the second with the organization of the Legion and ancient Roman armies, the third with military manoeuvres in the field, the fourth with the attack and defense of fortified places, the fifth concerns naval tactics. Steewech, commentator of this edition, was professor at Pont-à-Mousson.
Engraved armorial bookplate of Jean-Baptiste Peyer, lord of Fontenelle.