To the Illustrious Pandolfo Malatesta, Prince of Rimini, Paulus

Ramusio of Rimini, consultant of both laws, sends many greetings

The most famous deeds of your ancestors, magnificently performed in both peace and war original: "toga & bello," literally "in the toga and in war," a classical phrase referring to civil and military life, have compelled me, your citizen, to send to you the most accurately written work On Military Matters by my fellow countryman Roberto Valturio. This work was lying neglected and deformed by many errors, deviating from the original manuscript due to the carelessness of both editors and printers. While I was in Verona under the magnificent and famous Antonio Venier, and was free from my duties of administering public law original: "iuris utriusque," referring to the doctorate in both civil and canon law, I revised it with no small amount of labor during my spare hours. I did this so that, out of the duty I owed my fellow citizen, I might restore it to its original brilliance and make it readable for learned men. I have dedicated the laborious correction and the benefit of this almost divine work to your name, most pleasant prince. By running through these lessons, you may easily understand how much your ancestors excelled in this field. Indeed, even if no precepts or stratagems of warfare had been handed down in literary monuments, the energetic and unconquered leaders of the Malatesta family could have abundantly taught all nations the skill of this discipline through their own deeds. They could provide an example to both present and future generations through their continuous practice of wars and the most joyful splendor of their triumphs.

Roberto Malatesta, born of his father Sigismondo, stands almost before our eyes. Tears arising at his memory disrupt my writing. When he was eighteen years old, he was chosen as commander by the people of Ancona against the neighboring peoples of Picenum. Having laid low so many enemies and captured four hundred, he gained victory and a triumph. Not long after, while he held command at Fano and was besieged by the Roman Pope Pius Pope Pius II, who was a fierce rival of the Malatesta family with a very powerful force of cavalry and infantry, he himself often put the Roman soldiers to flight with only a small band of men. Having stayed in Rome until his thirtieth year, where everyone admired the appearance and virtue of such a great man, he learned that his father Sigismondo had died in Rimini. All of Italy and Achaia a region in Greece where Sigismondo led a crusade against the Ottomans had previously known Sigismondo as a most excellent leader. Roberto flew to Rimini full of grief. The citizens, desiring him as one, chose him as their prince. Meanwhile, the most flourishing armed forces of Pope Paul Pope Paul II secretly entered the suburbs of Rimini at the reddening of dawn. Roberto, however, with an unconquered spirit, drove back and put to flight the large Roman army with only a small band of recruits. Because of these extraordinary deeds, the Florentines, by the consensus of all the soldiers...