Details
STRABO (64/63 B.C. - not before 21 A.D.). De situ orbis, in Greek: \kPeri gevgrafias\K. Edited by Benedictus Tyrrhenus 15/16th century). Venice: Andreas Torresanus at the Aldine Press, November 1516.
Aldine 2° (320 x 220mm). Collation: [18 26] (1/1r title and woodcut printer's anchor-and-dolphin device, 1/1v blank, 1/2r-2/5v indices, 2/6r errata, 2/6v editor's dedicatory letter to Prince Alberto Pio of Carpi); a-z8 (text in 17 chapters, z8r register and colophon, z8v printer's device). 198 leaves. Types 79Gk, 90Gk and 80It cut by Francesco Griffo. 54 lines and headline. Woodcut headpieces, typographical headings and 11-line woodcut initials, opening each book, PRINTED IN RED. Red straight-grained morocco, tooled in gilt and blind, borders around sides, spine with double raised bands and decorated in compartments, fawn doublures with roll-tooled borders, blue free endpapers, vellum flyleaves, gilt edges, signed at foot of spine by Bozerian jeune.
Provenance: Antoine-Augustin Renouard (Bibliothèque d'un Amateur IV, 4); Beriah Botfield (sold to him in 1834 by Payne & Foss as "Unique on Large Paper" for 40 gns, Acquisitions p. 4).
EDITIO PRINCEPS of one of the earliest and most important scientific treatises of historical geography. Bringing the work of the first systematic geographer, Eratosthenes (3rd century B.C.), up to date, Strabo treats mathematical geography and describes the Mediterranean lands, Egypt and Asia Minor; his knowledge of the British Isles, northernmost Europe and Asia is very limited. The first edition in Latin, translated by Guarino of Verona and Gregorius Tiphernas, was published by Sweynheym and Pannartz (Klebs 935.1). For this first edition in Greek from the Aldine Press Tyrrhenus and Torresanus had to use a manuscript of little authority, Paris gr. 1395.
N.G. Wilson draws attention to a letter from Marcus Musurus to Jean Grolier, which was published as the preface to the posthumous November 1515 edition of Aldus's Greek grammar. "Musurus is clearly in pessimistic mood, owing to the incessant wars in Italy. He thinks texts need to be printed in order to ensure their survival, and he asks Grolier to encourage the new head of the firm Andrea Torresano to proceed with a programme of authors." The list he gives includes the Old and New Testament (see lot 4), Galen, Strabo, Pausanias and other Greek texts. Within ten years most of his demands had been satisfied.
VERY LARGE AND FINE COPY. Renouard 77.7; Isaac 12864; Adams S-1903; Hoffmann III, 453. Botfield 317-20.
Aldine 2° (320 x 220mm). Collation: [18 26] (1/1r title and woodcut printer's anchor-and-dolphin device, 1/1v blank, 1/2r-2/5v indices, 2/6r errata, 2/6v editor's dedicatory letter to Prince Alberto Pio of Carpi); a-z8 (text in 17 chapters, z8r register and colophon, z8v printer's device). 198 leaves. Types 79Gk, 90Gk and 80It cut by Francesco Griffo. 54 lines and headline. Woodcut headpieces, typographical headings and 11-line woodcut initials, opening each book, PRINTED IN RED. Red straight-grained morocco, tooled in gilt and blind, borders around sides, spine with double raised bands and decorated in compartments, fawn doublures with roll-tooled borders, blue free endpapers, vellum flyleaves, gilt edges, signed at foot of spine by Bozerian jeune.
Provenance: Antoine-Augustin Renouard (Bibliothèque d'un Amateur IV, 4); Beriah Botfield (sold to him in 1834 by Payne & Foss as "Unique on Large Paper" for 40 gns, Acquisitions p. 4).
EDITIO PRINCEPS of one of the earliest and most important scientific treatises of historical geography. Bringing the work of the first systematic geographer, Eratosthenes (3rd century B.C.), up to date, Strabo treats mathematical geography and describes the Mediterranean lands, Egypt and Asia Minor; his knowledge of the British Isles, northernmost Europe and Asia is very limited. The first edition in Latin, translated by Guarino of Verona and Gregorius Tiphernas, was published by Sweynheym and Pannartz (Klebs 935.1). For this first edition in Greek from the Aldine Press Tyrrhenus and Torresanus had to use a manuscript of little authority, Paris gr. 1395.
N.G. Wilson draws attention to a letter from Marcus Musurus to Jean Grolier, which was published as the preface to the posthumous November 1515 edition of Aldus's Greek grammar. "Musurus is clearly in pessimistic mood, owing to the incessant wars in Italy. He thinks texts need to be printed in order to ensure their survival, and he asks Grolier to encourage the new head of the firm Andrea Torresano to proceed with a programme of authors." The list he gives includes the Old and New Testament (see lot 4), Galen, Strabo, Pausanias and other Greek texts. Within ten years most of his demands had been satisfied.
VERY LARGE AND FINE COPY. Renouard 77.7; Isaac 12864; Adams S-1903; Hoffmann III, 453. Botfield 317-20.