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ARISTIDES, Aelius (AD 117-89). De laudibus urbis romae, in the Latin translation of Gasparo of Volterra, MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[Milan, c.1455]
165 x 120mm. 40 leaves: 1-410 including 4 final blanks, COMPLETE, horizontal catchwords in centre of lower margin of final versos, 19 lines written in brown ink in a reformed gothic hand between 20 horizontals ruled in pale ink and 2 pairs of verticals ruled in plummet, justification: 102 x 67mm, rubrics in pink, 2 three-line initials in blue (margins of opening folio rubbed affecting rubric). 18th-century half vellum (extremities worn).
PROVENANCE:
1. George Frederick Nott of Winchester: his signature on inner front cover and at foot of folio 1 with the date 1827
2. John William Burgon: a note of gift from his father on the front flyleaf preceded by an inserted letter to him from J. Holmes at the British Museum of 5 September 1845 concerning the text
CONTENTS:
Gasparo da Volterra, Prologue and dedication to Nicolas V, ff.1-3v; Aristides, De laudibus urbis Rome in the Latin translation of Gasparo da Volterra.
This enconium of Rome is Aristides' best known composition. The Greek rhetorician spent much of his career demonstrating his oratory in the major centres of the Greek world; it led to his being cited by Galen as an example of someone whose oratorial skills had caused 'his whole body to fade away'.
Gasparo da Volterra made his translation in 1453 in Bologna and dedicated it to Nicholas V (1447-55). It was a particularly appropriate text to offer to the humanist pope under whom the schism was ended and unity restored to the Roman church; in 1453 Nicholas had restored order to the States of the Church and overcome Stefano Porcaro's attempt to declare Rome a republic. After centuries of neglect and destruction Nicholas had begun the rebuilding and improvement of the city that would restore it to its earlier status. His plans included the expansion of the Vatican and he effectively founded the Vatican library. No copy of this text was included in the inventory taken on his death: A. Manfredi, I codici latini di Niccolò V: Studi i Testi, 359 (Vatican, 1994).
Gasparo da Volterra was Protonotary Apostolic in Bologna when he made this translation. Cardinal Bessarion was Papal Legate in the city and it may have been from Bessarion's copy of Aristides, now in the Marciana in Venice, that Gasparo made his translation. Two of Gasparo's own Greek manuscripts are known. In 1457 he had a manuscript on military tacticians copied for him in Rome (Paris, B.N., grec 2524) and he owned a copy of Homer that is now in the British Library (B.L., Harley 5693). His translation of Aristides appears never to have been published and no manuscript copy is recorded by Kristeller in Iter Italicum (1996), vols i-vi.
This an extremely attractive manuscript of a rare text; it is written in the reformed gothic script derived from Petrarch that continued in use among the humanists of Milan.
[Milan, c.1455]
165 x 120mm. 40 leaves: 1-4
PROVENANCE:
1. George Frederick Nott of Winchester: his signature on inner front cover and at foot of folio 1 with the date 1827
2. John William Burgon: a note of gift from his father on the front flyleaf preceded by an inserted letter to him from J. Holmes at the British Museum of 5 September 1845 concerning the text
CONTENTS:
Gasparo da Volterra, Prologue and dedication to Nicolas V, ff.1-3v; Aristides, De laudibus urbis Rome in the Latin translation of Gasparo da Volterra.
This enconium of Rome is Aristides' best known composition. The Greek rhetorician spent much of his career demonstrating his oratory in the major centres of the Greek world; it led to his being cited by Galen as an example of someone whose oratorial skills had caused 'his whole body to fade away'.
Gasparo da Volterra made his translation in 1453 in Bologna and dedicated it to Nicholas V (1447-55). It was a particularly appropriate text to offer to the humanist pope under whom the schism was ended and unity restored to the Roman church; in 1453 Nicholas had restored order to the States of the Church and overcome Stefano Porcaro's attempt to declare Rome a republic. After centuries of neglect and destruction Nicholas had begun the rebuilding and improvement of the city that would restore it to its earlier status. His plans included the expansion of the Vatican and he effectively founded the Vatican library. No copy of this text was included in the inventory taken on his death: A. Manfredi, I codici latini di Niccolò V: Studi i Testi, 359 (Vatican, 1994).
Gasparo da Volterra was Protonotary Apostolic in Bologna when he made this translation. Cardinal Bessarion was Papal Legate in the city and it may have been from Bessarion's copy of Aristides, now in the Marciana in Venice, that Gasparo made his translation. Two of Gasparo's own Greek manuscripts are known. In 1457 he had a manuscript on military tacticians copied for him in Rome (Paris, B.N., grec 2524) and he owned a copy of Homer that is now in the British Library (B.L., Harley 5693). His translation of Aristides appears never to have been published and no manuscript copy is recorded by Kristeller in Iter Italicum (1996), vols i-vi.
This an extremely attractive manuscript of a rare text; it is written in the reformed gothic script derived from Petrarch that continued in use among the humanists of Milan.