Antiquarian arms: flail, dart, grappling hooks and spontoon
Fragello, telo, tribone, runcili, ruffili, ganci and a galley spontoon
A page from Leonardo's illustrated catalogue of ancient and exotic weapons, each named in Italian and drawn beside its note. He describes a flail (fragello) among the earliest rude arms, a fire-hardened Scythian dart (telo) once used by the Arabs, and a family of naval grappling weapons (ganci, ruffili, roncili) used by pirates to hook a ship's gunwales. At the foot he sketches a galley spontoon meant to break through cuirasses. The sheet carries further faded mirror-script that the transcription only partly resolves.
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Telo: a Scythian fire-hardened dart
Leonardo calls the telo a simple weapon much used by the Arabs but invented by the Scythians. It is a length of green wood with a burnt (fire-hardened) point, thrown either with a cord or without, and when held in the hand it also serves as a spit-like javelin.
Naval grappling arms of the pirates (ganci, ruffili, roncili)
Hooks, ruffili and bill-hooks are described as naval arms used by pirates to seize the gunwales of ships. If a defender approaches they thrust the hook forward to wound him, then draw back to the rails, holding the ship fast so it cannot get away.
Galley spontoon for breaking cuirasses
At the foot Leonardo labels and draws a spontoon (spunton) for use from a galley, designed to smash through cuirasses.
Flail (fragello) among the first rustic arms
The topmost figure is a flail, which Leonardo counts among the earliest and rudest of armaments.