Details
September 1513 [not before 15 February 1514]
ALEXANDER Aphrodisaeus (fl. early-3rd cent. A.D.) In Topica Aristotelis commentarii, Gk. Ed. Marcus Musurus. Super-chancery 2° (298 x 194mm). Collation: A8(1+1.7+1) B-R8 S6 (A1r Greek and Latin title and Aldine device no. f4, A1v-1+1v dedicatory letter, A2r-S5r text, A7+1 blank uncancelled, S5r register and Greek and Latin colophons, S5v-6r blank, S6v device f4). 144 leaves. Greek type 3bis:90 (text), roman 12:90 (dedication and incidental). 48 lines and headline, paginated. (A single wormhole in the first half affecting an occasional letter, a few small marginal wormholes.)
PREFACE: In a letter dated from Venice 15th February 1514, Aldus dedicates the book to his long-time patron, Albertus Pius, Prince of Carpi. Although the sheets were already printed the year before, he delayed publication of Alexander's work, because he had been expecting to receive a Greek commentary on the same Aristotelean text written by a young philosopher and physician from Bergamo, Francesco Vittori. The work would have elucidated both Alexander and other commentators on Plato and Aristotle and its length would have run to fifty quires. But Fortune was jealous of his labours and scholarly intentions: a few days ago his house was totally destroyed by fire, and the commentaries mentioned and his whole library perished. Not cast down, Vittori has promised to rewrite the commentaries, and with interest, adding a Latin translation. He is not yet thirty and Aldus doubts not that he will keep his word. He lectures on philosophy at Padua. Considering his experiences, he is another Ulysses, Aeneas, Hercules. If Pio can spare a moment from the troubles of these times, he will read Alexander of Aphrodisias, the more so since Musurus has corrected it against the oldest manuscripts. Aldus remembers his promise and will publish all that has been written on Aristotle, once Strabo, Athenaeus, Pausanias and Xenophon have been finished. Given a little peace, he will bring the heavy stone that he has rolled for so many years to the top of the mountain.
BINDING: modern polished calf, early ink inscription of abbreviated Greek title on fore-edges. PROVENANCE: some old marginalia, perhaps an English hand, mostly citations of Suidas
EDITIO PRINCEPS of one of the most important ancient commentaries on Aristotle. The text, explaining the Topica, which forms part of the Organon, no doubt found a ready market, because Aristotelian studies of the most traditional type showed no signs of disappearing from the Renaissance university curriculum. The recension as printed closely resembles that found in Paris gr. 1874, according to M. Wallies (1891), the only modern editor of the commentary (see Wilson ch. 14 n. 67). The blank conjugate of the inserted leaf following the title remains uncancelled in only very few copies. Isaac 12833; Adams A-665; Hoffmann I, 115; Dionisotti & Orlandi LXXIX; Murphy 100; Sansoviniana 131-32; Laurenziana 120; R 62:5
ALEXANDER Aphrodisaeus (fl. early-3rd cent. A.D.) In Topica Aristotelis commentarii, Gk. Ed. Marcus Musurus. Super-chancery 2° (298 x 194mm). Collation: A8(1+1.7+1) B-R8 S6 (A1r Greek and Latin title and Aldine device no. f4, A1v-1+1v dedicatory letter, A2r-S5r text, A7+1 blank uncancelled, S5r register and Greek and Latin colophons, S5v-6r blank, S6v device f4). 144 leaves. Greek type 3bis:90 (text), roman 12:90 (dedication and incidental). 48 lines and headline, paginated. (A single wormhole in the first half affecting an occasional letter, a few small marginal wormholes.)
PREFACE: In a letter dated from Venice 15th February 1514, Aldus dedicates the book to his long-time patron, Albertus Pius, Prince of Carpi. Although the sheets were already printed the year before, he delayed publication of Alexander's work, because he had been expecting to receive a Greek commentary on the same Aristotelean text written by a young philosopher and physician from Bergamo, Francesco Vittori. The work would have elucidated both Alexander and other commentators on Plato and Aristotle and its length would have run to fifty quires. But Fortune was jealous of his labours and scholarly intentions: a few days ago his house was totally destroyed by fire, and the commentaries mentioned and his whole library perished. Not cast down, Vittori has promised to rewrite the commentaries, and with interest, adding a Latin translation. He is not yet thirty and Aldus doubts not that he will keep his word. He lectures on philosophy at Padua. Considering his experiences, he is another Ulysses, Aeneas, Hercules. If Pio can spare a moment from the troubles of these times, he will read Alexander of Aphrodisias, the more so since Musurus has corrected it against the oldest manuscripts. Aldus remembers his promise and will publish all that has been written on Aristotle, once Strabo, Athenaeus, Pausanias and Xenophon have been finished. Given a little peace, he will bring the heavy stone that he has rolled for so many years to the top of the mountain.
BINDING: modern polished calf, early ink inscription of abbreviated Greek title on fore-edges. PROVENANCE: some old marginalia, perhaps an English hand, mostly citations of Suidas
EDITIO PRINCEPS of one of the most important ancient commentaries on Aristotle. The text, explaining the Topica, which forms part of the Organon, no doubt found a ready market, because Aristotelian studies of the most traditional type showed no signs of disappearing from the Renaissance university curriculum. The recension as printed closely resembles that found in Paris gr. 1874, according to M. Wallies (1891), the only modern editor of the commentary (see Wilson ch. 14 n. 67). The blank conjugate of the inserted leaf following the title remains uncancelled in only very few copies. Isaac 12833; Adams A-665; Hoffmann I, 115; Dionisotti & Orlandi LXXIX; Murphy 100; Sansoviniana 131-32; Laurenziana 120; R 62:5