# Decades of the New World

Decades of the New World (Latin: De orbe novo decades; Spanish: Décadas del nuevo mundo), by Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, is a collection of eight narrative tracts recounting early Spanish exploration, conquest and colonization of the New World, exploration of the Pacific, and related miscellany. The first four of these tracts were first published disjointly in three volumes in 1511, 1516, and 1521. All eight tracts were first anthologized, that is, first published as the completed Decades of the New World collection, in 1530. Being among the earliest histories of the Age of Discovery, the Decades are of great value to the history of geography and discovery.

## History

In 1530 the eight Decades were published together for the first time at Alcalá. Later editions of single or of all the Decades appeared at Basel (1533), Cologne (1574), Paris (1587), and Madrid (1892). A German translation was published in Basle in 1582; a French one by Gaffarel in Recueil de voyages et de documents pour servir à l'histoire de la Geographie (Paris, 1907).
The first three decades were translated into English by Richard Eden and published in 1555 (found in Arber's The first three English books on America Birmingham, 1885), thus beginning the genre of English discovery travel writing, which stimulated English exploration of the New World. Eden's translations were reprinted with supplementary materials in 1577 by Richard Willes under the new title, The historie of travayle into the West and east Indies. Richard Hakluyt had the remaining five decades translated into English by Michael Lok and published in London in 1612.

## Contents

The Decades describe the early contacts of Europeans and Native Americans derived from narratives of the voyages of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean, reports from Hernán Cortés's Mexican expedition, and other such resources. They consisted of eight reports, two of which Martyr had previously sent as letters describing the voyages of Columbus, to Cardinal Ascanius Sforza in 1493 and 1494. In 1501 Martyr, as requested by the Cardinal of Aragon, added eight chapters on the voyage of Columbus and the exploits of Martin Alonzo Pinzón. In 1511 he added a supplement giving an account of events from 1501 to 1511. By 1516 he had finished two other Decades:
* The first was devoted to the exploits of Alonso de Ojeda, Diego de Nicuesa, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa. It was first published against his consent in a Venetian-Italian summary in Venice in 1504, reprinted in 1507, and published in a Latin translation in 1508. The original Latin text was published in 1511.
* The second gave an account of Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean, Columbus' fourth voyage, and the expeditions of Pedrarias Dávila.
* The first three appeared together at Alcalá de Henares in 1516 under the title: De orbe novo decades cum Legatione Babylonica.
* The Enchiridion de nuper sub D. Carolo repertis insulis (Basle, 1521) was printed as the fourth Decade, describing the voyages of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, Juan de Grijalva, and Hernán Cortés.
* The fifth Decade (1523) dealt with the conquest of the Aztec Empire and the circumnavigation of the world by Ferdinand Magellan.
* The sixth Decade (1524) gave an account of Dávila's discoveries on the west coast of America.
* The seventh Decade (1525) had collected descriptions of the customs of the natives in present-day South Carolina, including the "Testimony of Francisco de Chicora", a Native American taken captive there; as well as those of natives in Florida, Haiti, Cuba, and Darién.
* The eighth Decade (1525) told the story of the march of Cortés against Olit.

### Table

Contents of Decades of the New World. :
| Decade | Length | Contents | Written | Published | Colophon | OCLC | Note |
| First | 10 lib. 128 pp. | on first three Columbus voyageson New Worldon Hispaniola colonyon other non-Columbus voyages | 14 May 1493 – Dec. 1510 | Apr. 1511 Seville, Crown of Castile | Hispali: Jacobu[m] Corumberger alemanu[m] | 744565159 | Originally denominated Oceani decas. Revised in 1516 edition. Plagiarized translation of incomplete 1501 draft published 1504. |
| Second | 10 lib. 86 pp. | on Middle American voyagescon Darién colonization | 1514 | 9 Nov. 1516 Alcalá, Crown of Castile | Alcala: contubernio Arnaldi Guillelmi | 1046912819 | – |
| Third | 10 lib. 127 pp. | on last Columbus voyageon Balboa voyageson Pedrarias Dávila expeditionon Hispaniolaon Darién | 1514–1516 | 9 Nov. 1516 Alcalá, Crown of Castile | Alcala: contubernio Arnaldi Guillelmi | 1046912819 | – |
| Fourth | 10 lib. 47 pp. | on Yucatán expeditionson Mesoamericaon Hispaniolaon Darién | 1520 | 1521 Basel, Swiss Confederacy | Basileae: [Adam Petri] | 824268303 | – |
| Fifth | 10 lib. 149 pp. | on Cortés conqueston Tenochtitlanon Magallanes circumnavigation | 1521–1523 | Dec. 1530 Madrid, Crown of Castile | Compluti: Michaele[m] d[e] Eguia | 1334839188 | – |
| Sixth | 10 lib. 27 pp. | on southern Central Americaon Maluku Islands controversy | 1524 | Dec. 1530 Madrid, Crown of Castile | Compluti: Michaele[m] d[e] Eguia | 1334839188 | – |
| Seventh | 10 lib. 78 pp. | on Cortés rivalryon conquistadorson cosmographyon Hispaniola | 1524 | Dec. 1530 Madrid, Crown of Castile | Compluti: Michaele[m] d[e] Eguia | 1334839188 | – |
| Eighth | 10 lib. 85 pp. | on Cortés rivalryon Mesoamericaon other voyageson Maluku Islands | 1524–1525 | Dec. 1530 Madrid, Crown of Castile | Compluti: Michaele[m] d[e] Eguia | 1334839188 | – |

## Editions

* P. Martyris ab Angleria Mediolonensi. Opera: Legatio babylonica; Occeanea decas; Poemata. Impressum Hispali (Seville): per Jacobu(m) Corumberger alemanu(m), 1511 (Includes only first Decade).
* Petri Martyris. De orbe novo Decades. In illustri oppido Carpetanae p(ro)vinciae Co(m)pluto quod vulgariter dicitur Alcala: in contubernio Arnaldi Guillelmi, 1516 (Includes only first three Decades).
* Petri Martyris ab Angleria Mediolanensis protonotarij Cęsaris senatoris. De orbe novo decades. Compluti: apud Michaele(m) de Eguia, 1530 (First complete edition).
* Petri Martyris ab Angleria Mediolanen. De rebus oceanicis & Orbe nouo decades tres Apud Ioannem Bebelium (Basileae), 1533.
* Peter Martyr of Angleria. The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and Ilandes lately founde in the west Ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne […]. Wrytten in the Latine tounge[sic] and translated into Englysche by Rycharde Eden. Londini (London): in ædibus Guilhelmi Powell, 1555.
* Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, De orbe novo, translated from the Latin with notes and introduction by Francis Augustus MacNutt (2 vol.), Putnam (New York), 1912.
* Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, Decadas del nuevo mundo, 1944.
* Petrus Martyr de Anghieria, Opera: Legatio Babylonica, De Orbe novo decades octo, Opus Epistolarum, Graz: Akademische Druck- U. Verlagsanstalt, 1966 ISBN 3-201-00250-X

### Table

Select editions of Decades of the New World. :
| Title | Contents | Collaborator | Colophon | Date and Place | Language | OCLC | Note |
| Libretto de tutta la nauigatione de Re de Spagna, de le Isole et terreni nouamente trouati | partial 1st dec. | Angelo Trevisan, Albertino Vercellese | Venesia: Albertino da Lisona vercellese | 10 Apr. 1504 Venice, Republic of Venice | Italian | – | Plagiarized in 1501 from incomplete Latin draft copy. |
| Paesi nouamente retrouati et Nouo Mondo da Alberico Vesputio Florentino intitulato | partial 1st dec. | Francanzano da Montalboddo | Vicentia: impensa de Mgro Henrico Vicentino | 3 Nov. 1507 Vicenza, Republic of Venice | Italian | 29137136 | First reprint of plagiarized 1504 edition. |
| Itinerariu[m] Portugalle[n]siu[m] e Lusitania in India[m] [et] inde in occidentem [et] demum ad aquilonem | partial 1st dec. | Archangelo Madrignani | [Mediolani: Giovanni Angelo Scinzenzeler] | 1 Jun. 1508 Milan, Duchy of Milan | Latin | 9088072846 | First Latin translation of 1507 edition. |
| Neuwe umbekanthe landte und ein new weldte in kurtz verganger zeythe erfunden | partial 1st dec. | Jobst Ruchamer | Nüreinbergk: mich Georgen Stüchssen | 20 Sep. 1508 Nuremberg, Free Imperial City of Nuremberg | German | – | First German translation of 1507 edition. |
| Paesi nouamente ritrouati & Nouo Mo[n]do da Alberico Vesputio Florentino intitulato | partial 1st dec. | – | Milano: Jo. Jacobo et fratelli da Lignano | 17 Nov. 1508 Milan, Duchy of Milan | Italian | – | First reprint of 1507 edition. |
| Nye vnbekande Lande Unde eine nye Werldt in korter vorgangener Tyd gefunden | partial 1st dec. | Henning Ghetelen, Jobst Ruchamer | Nüreinberch: my Jürgen Stüchssen | 18 Nov. 1508 Nuremberg, Free Imperial City of Nuremberg | German | 9811828300 | Second German translation of 1507 edition. |
| S’ensuyt le Nouveau monde et navigations faictes par Émeric de Vespuci, Florentin, des pays et isles nouvellement trouvez, auparavant à nous incongneuz, tant en l’Éthiope que Arrabie, Calichut et aultres plusier régions estranges | partial 1st dec. | Mathurin du Redouer | Paris: de P. Le Noir | 1510 Paris, Kingdom of France | French | 1100239410 | First French translation of 1507 edition. |
| P[etrus] Martyris angli mediolanensis opera Legatio babylonica Oceani decas Poemata Epigrammata | 1st dec. | – | Hispali: Jacobu[m] Corumberger alemanu[m] | Apr. 1511 Seville, Crown of Castile | Latin | 744565159 | First edition to contain the complete first decade. |
| Paesi nouame[n]te ritrouati [et] Nouo Mondo da Alberico Vesputio Florentino intitulato | partial 1st dec. | – | Milano: Io. Iacobo & Fratelli da Lignano | 1512 Milan, Duchy of Milan | Italian | – | Second reprint of 1507 edition. |
| S’ensuyt le Nouveau Monde & navigations: faictes par Emeric de Vespuce, Florentin, des pays & isles nouvellement trouvez, auparavant a nous incongneuz tant en lethiope que Arrabie, Calichut et aultres plusier régions estranges | partial 1st dec. | – | Paris: veuve de Jean I Trepperel et Jean Jehannot | 1515 Paris, Kingdom of France | French | 1254656851 | Second French translation of 1507 edition. |
| Anglerius Petrus Martyr De Orbe Novo Decades | 1st–3rd dec. | – | Alcala: contubernio Arnaldi Guillelmi | 9 Nov. 1516 Alcalá, Crown of Castile | Latin | 1046912819 | First edition to contain second and third decades. |
| De nvper svb D. Carolo repertis insulis, simulq[ue] incolarum moribus, r. Petri Martyris Enchiridion, dominae Margaritae, divi Max. caes. filiae dicatum | 4th dec. | – | Basileae: [Adam Petri] | 1521 Basel, Swiss Confederacy | Latin | 824268303 | First edition to contain fourth decade. |
| De orbe nouo Petri Martyris ab Angleria Mediolanensis Protonotarij Cesaris senatoris decades | all dec. | – | Compluti: Michaele[m] d[e] Eguia | Dec. 1530 Madrid, Crown of Castile | Latin | 1334839188 | First edition to contain all eight decades. |
| The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India | 1st–3rd dec. | Richard Eden | Londini: Guilhelmi Powell | 1555 London, Kingdom of England | English | 671311867 | First English edition to contain first three decades. |
| De nouo orbe, or the historie of the west Indies | all dec. | Michael Lok, Richard Eden | London: [by Thomas Dawson] for Thomas Adams | 1612 London, Kingdom of England | English | 367981073 | First complete English edition. |
| Fuentes históricas sobre Colón y América | all dec. | Joaquín Torres Asensio | Madrid: San Francisco de Sales | 1892 Madrid, Kingdom of Spain | Spanish | 697768851 | First complete Spanish edition. |
| Décadas del nuevo mundo | all dec. | Agustín Millares Carlo, Edmundo O'Gorman, Joseph H. Sinclair | México: José Porrúa e Hijos | 1964–1965 Mexico City, Mexico | Spanish | 79175629 | First complete Mexican edition. |