細節
October [not before 14 November] 1503
XENOPHON. Hellenica, Gk. -PLETHON, Georgios Gemistos (ca. 1355-1452). De gestis Graecorum post pugnam ad Mantineam, Gk. -HERODIAN of Syria (fl. early 3rd cent. A.D.). Historiae a Marci principatu, Gk. -Scholae in Thucydidem, Gk. Super-chancery 2° (308 x 205mm). Collation: \ka-h\K8 υ4 (α1r title in Greek and Latin Xenophontis omissa: quae & graeca gesta appellantur. Georgii Gemisti: qui & Pletho dicitur: ex Diodori: & Plutarchi historiis de iis: quae post pugnam ad Mantineam gesta sunt: per capita tractatio. Herodiani a Marci principatu historiarum libri octo: quos Angelus Politianus elegantissime latinos fecit. Enarratiunculae antiquae: & perbreves in totum Thucydidem: sine quibus autor intellectu est quamdifficillimus and woodcut device Fletcher no. f1, α1v Aldus's Greek dedication to Guido Ubaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino dated 14th November, α2r-η1v Xenophon, η2r-υ4r Plethon, υ4v blank); \ki-m\K8 ν4 (Herodian); \kj-t\K8 \ky-f\K6 (Thucydidean scholia, φ6r quire register and colophon Venetiis in Aldi Neacademia mense Octobri MDIII, φ6v device f1). 156 leaves. Greek types 3:84 (text), 3bis:90 (preface, the same type as greek 3 but recast on a larger body), roman 10:82 (incidental). 55 lines and headline. Inital-spaces with guide-letters. (Minor marginal worming and staining.)
PREFACE: Unlike Pollux addressing Commodus, Aldus can truly hail Guido da Montefeltro as "excellent son of an excellent father." Plato's recipe for good government was that philosophers should rule and rulers love wisdom. Guido though has no other desire but to serve men and states, and the people of Urbino are obviously aware of this, having recalled him twice after driving out the invader [Cesare Borgia]. Like a philosopher he has faced good and bad fortune with equal nobility. Aldus therefore wishes to pay some small homage by dedicating to him the continuation of Thucydides by Xenophon, whose eloquence is as fragrant as thyme so that the ancient Greeks called him the Attic bee. Like Guido Xenophon was both a general and a man of great culture. Aldus makes him a gift of these texts as a souvenir of the affection in which he has held him and his reign.
BINDING: modern flexible vellum. PROVENANCE: contemporary Greek marginalia to the Thucydides commentary
EDITIO PRINCEPS of all four historical works. The publication had been held up, because Aldus had not had enough manuscripts from which to work; he considered that he needed at least three copies of Xenophon and Plethon to eliminate corrupt passages (see preface in lot 36). Politian's Latin translation of Herodian is not included in this edition, but mentioned on the title-page as a compliment; it had first appeared at Rome in 1493 (IGI 4689). Xenophon continues Thucydides' history from 411 B.C. to the battle of Mantinea (362); Plethon's history of the Greeks continues from there. Herodian's history deals with the period from Marcus Aurelius to Gordian III (238 A.D.) RARE. Isaac 12794; Hoffmann III, 589; Dionisotti & Orlandi LI; Murphy 61; Sansoviniana 85-86; Laurenziana 80; R 41:7
XENOPHON. Hellenica, Gk. -PLETHON, Georgios Gemistos (ca. 1355-1452). De gestis Graecorum post pugnam ad Mantineam, Gk. -HERODIAN of Syria (fl. early 3rd cent. A.D.). Historiae a Marci principatu, Gk. -Scholae in Thucydidem, Gk. Super-chancery 2° (308 x 205mm). Collation: \ka-h\K8 υ4 (α1r title in Greek and Latin Xenophontis omissa: quae & graeca gesta appellantur. Georgii Gemisti: qui & Pletho dicitur: ex Diodori: & Plutarchi historiis de iis: quae post pugnam ad Mantineam gesta sunt: per capita tractatio. Herodiani a Marci principatu historiarum libri octo: quos Angelus Politianus elegantissime latinos fecit. Enarratiunculae antiquae: & perbreves in totum Thucydidem: sine quibus autor intellectu est quamdifficillimus and woodcut device Fletcher no. f1, α1v Aldus's Greek dedication to Guido Ubaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino dated 14th November, α2r-η1v Xenophon, η2r-υ4r Plethon, υ4v blank); \ki-m\K8 ν4 (Herodian); \kj-t\K8 \ky-f\K6 (Thucydidean scholia, φ6r quire register and colophon Venetiis in Aldi Neacademia mense Octobri MDIII, φ6v device f1). 156 leaves. Greek types 3:84 (text), 3bis:90 (preface, the same type as greek 3 but recast on a larger body), roman 10:82 (incidental). 55 lines and headline. Inital-spaces with guide-letters. (Minor marginal worming and staining.)
PREFACE: Unlike Pollux addressing Commodus, Aldus can truly hail Guido da Montefeltro as "excellent son of an excellent father." Plato's recipe for good government was that philosophers should rule and rulers love wisdom. Guido though has no other desire but to serve men and states, and the people of Urbino are obviously aware of this, having recalled him twice after driving out the invader [Cesare Borgia]. Like a philosopher he has faced good and bad fortune with equal nobility. Aldus therefore wishes to pay some small homage by dedicating to him the continuation of Thucydides by Xenophon, whose eloquence is as fragrant as thyme so that the ancient Greeks called him the Attic bee. Like Guido Xenophon was both a general and a man of great culture. Aldus makes him a gift of these texts as a souvenir of the affection in which he has held him and his reign.
BINDING: modern flexible vellum. PROVENANCE: contemporary Greek marginalia to the Thucydides commentary
EDITIO PRINCEPS of all four historical works. The publication had been held up, because Aldus had not had enough manuscripts from which to work; he considered that he needed at least three copies of Xenophon and Plethon to eliminate corrupt passages (see preface in lot 36). Politian's Latin translation of Herodian is not included in this edition, but mentioned on the title-page as a compliment; it had first appeared at Rome in 1493 (IGI 4689). Xenophon continues Thucydides' history from 411 B.C. to the battle of Mantinea (362); Plethon's history of the Greeks continues from there. Herodian's history deals with the period from Marcus Aurelius to Gordian III (238 A.D.) RARE. Isaac 12794; Hoffmann III, 589; Dionisotti & Orlandi LI; Murphy 61; Sansoviniana 85-86; Laurenziana 80; R 41:7