Lost in translation: Pacioli's de computis et scripturis

This article seeks to determine how much we understand of Pacioli's purpose, and to clarify what he wrote justifying his preparation and publication of his ‘bookkeeping treatise’ in 1494. The context that motivated Pacioli to prepare his treatise is identified: why he published it and for whom. A new critical translation of the first chapter is presented, revealing statements omitted from the translations, and terms misunderstood. Its primary contribution is the clearer overview of fifteenth century Venetian business and bookkeeping practice and of the treatise than is currently presented in the accounting history literature. This should lead to new understanding of the role and purpose of using double entry in European trade during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and thereafter. Finally, all 10 translations of the treatise evaluated, including the five in English, were found to be unreliable. Anyone using these translations needs to refer continuously to the original text and to how it has been translated into other languages.