The presentation is visualized in three distinct frames.
In the frame on the left the sources and components of Alberti’s inspiration are recalled. Each voice preceded by the + sign can be selected with the cursor and developed in a series of sub voices. In each case the series of sub voices will be precede by the – sign. The sub voices correspond more or less to citations / ‘tesserae’ taken from the sources listed. In order to close the series of sub voices select the – sign.
In the top right frame the text of Alberti’s Hostis is presented. From the relevant links in the left frame it is possible to find the Italian or English translation of the text.
In the bottom right frame the complete text of the sources used by Alberti for his ‘tesserae’ is shown. The texts are presented in the language in which Alberti presumably knew them, but from relevant links it is possible to visualize the Italian and English translations.
In order to highlight the single ‘tesserae’ which form Hostis and, at the same time the source from which they have been extracted, it is necessary to select, in the right order the relevant voice in the left frame, the relevant sub voice (the complete text of the source used will appear in the bottom right frame) and keep the cursor on the sub voice (the correspondent phrases of Hostis and the source will appear in both the top and bottom right frames). In order to see the complete text when this is not entirely visible on the screen it is necessary to use the navigation bar on the right hand side of the screen.
The Italian or English translations of Hostis or of the different sources used by Alberti are merely auxiliary to the understanding of the texts themselves. The correspondences between the sources and Alberti’s way of reusing them in his own text are visible only in the Latin version of the texts.
It is also possible to access via a relevant link a brief commentary which explains how and why each quotation is reused.