Caesar's Commentarii - photo 1

Caesar's Commentarii

Lot 17
27.06.2024 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 4 032
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1236247
Lot 17 | Caesar's Commentarii
Estimate value
$ 2 000 – 4 000
CAESAR, Gaius Julius (100-44). Commentarii. Edited by Hieronymus Bononius. Venice: Philippus Pincius, 25 October 1494.

Early edition of Caesar's classic military narratives, as well as other pseudo-Caesarian historical works. This edition, by the prolific Venetian printer of classical literature Philippus Pincius, is a close reprint of that of T. de Ragazonibus. It begins with Julius Caesar's famous accounts of his Gallic campaigns and the Civil War which resulted from the breakdown of the political alliance known as the First Triumvirate, but also includes several accounts of Caesar's other campaigns—written in the spirit of the famous general but not actually from his stylus. A possible attribution is his contemporary, Aulus Hirtius.

Caesar's firsthand report of the Gallic Wars, well known to centuries of school children for its direct prose style and adventurous narrative, is an important if ambiguous source for the history of the Celtic peoples. It contains now famous accounts of the rebellion of Vercingetorix, the elusive unicorns who dwell in the Hercynian forest, and the activities of the mysterious druids—whom he describes as studying astronomy and performing human sacrifices in the now iconic Wicker Man. After the European discovery of the Americas in 1492, only two years before the printing of this edition, Caesar's description of the Gallic tribes became a model for the understanding and cultural perception of Native Americans. Goff C-24; Bod-inc C-012; BMC V 496; BSB-Ink C-30; GW 5871.

Chancery folio (271 x 186mm). 134 leaves. First text leaf printed in red and black. Woodcut initials, woodcut of Saint Anthony on register page (one or two discreet marginal repairs, minute fingersoiling at ends). 20th-century stamped calf to style (a little scuffed).
Artist:Gaius Julius Caesar (100 BC - 44 BC)
Place of origin:Italy
Auction house category:Antiquarian books, Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.06.2024 – 27.06.2024
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

SAMMELBAND – Collection of three classics in German translations.
SAMMELBAND – Collection of three classics in German translations.
£5 000
CÉSAR, Jules (Caesar, Gaius Julius (100 BC - 44 BC)
CÉSAR, Jules (Caesar, Gaius Julius (100 BC - 44 BC)
€3 000
NO IMAGE
Caesar,G.J.
€90
Caesar,G.J.
Caesar,G.J.
€60
Caesar,G.J.
Caesar,G.J.
€80

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.