“I am well aware that, because I am not a scholar, some presumptuous people will think that they can belittle me as an uneducated person. Bunch of ignoramuses themselves!” —From the Codex AtlanticusIn this statement by Leonardo da Vinci in his Codex Atlanticus, “uneducated person” or omo sanza lettere (uomo senza lettere in modern Italian) is a reference to his failure to understand Latin, which was the common language of the intellectual class of the time. Although many writers, including Dante and Petrarch, composed poetry and prose in the vernacular language (Italian), to qualify as a true man of culture, one had to write in Latin. The rather defensive quote from Leonardo above reveals his inferiority complex vis-a-vis the Latin language, which tormented him throughout his life.Leonardo descended from a line of notaries, which was considered an intellectual class at the time, but was born out of wedlock (a bastard child) because his parents did not marry, probably because of their different class statuses. Ironically, the notaries’ union at the time did not admit illegitimate children, so it was clear from an early age that he would not inherit the family business. As a result, Leonardo grew up with an emotionally distant father, without access to Latin, the abacus, and other elements of a primary education that the sons of the wealthy at the time received.Three times in Leonardo’s manuscripts, he makes note of the books currently in his possession. The first such mention is in the Codex Trivulzianus, where he lists five book titles: Donato, Lapidario, Plinjo, Abacho, and Morgante. The first of these, Donato, refers to a Latin grammar book by Donatus. It is interesting that Pliny’s Natural History and Luigi Pulci’s epic poem Morgante are accompanied by a grammar book and a book on calculation with the abaco (a kind of abacus). It is likely that Leonardo, who was in his mid-30s, taught himself out of necessity.As this shows, his image as an “all-powerful genius” who can do anything without difficulty is not in line with reality. This paper will consider how Leonardo the engineer blossomed from such an inauspicious starting point.
Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.35 (1 - 7)