Games.- Barozzi (Francesco) Il nobilissimo et antiquissimo giuoco Pythagoreo nominato rythmomachia, cioè battaglia di consonantie de numeri, first edition, collation: A-F4 G2, woodcut printer's device to title, woodcut initials and numerous illustrations, modern wrappers, housed within modern cloth drop-back box, 4to (196x135mm.), Venice, Grazioso Perchacino, 1572.*** First edition of this Italian treatise on the medieval numbers boardgame, ‘Rithmomachia’ or ‘Battle of Numbers’. Similar to chess, but dependent on Boethian mathematics, the game was originally attributed to Pythagoras, and is also known as the Philosopher’s Game, but likely originated in the 11th century. Barozzi seems to have learnt the game while in Bologna from Calude de Bossière’s 1556 Latin treatise, and decided to compose an Italian version having played and taught the game himself.Provenance: Erwin Tomash [book label to front pastedown]. Sold as lot 42 in The Erwin Tomash Library On The History Of Computing at Sotheyby's, 18th September 2018.Literature: Edit16 CNCE 4261; Tomash & Williams B95 [this copy].