THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.) - photo 1
THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.) - photo 2
THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.) - photo 3
THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.) - photo 4

THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.)

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£ 20 160
Auction dateClassic
13.07.2022 10:30UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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ID 794424
Lot 121 | THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.)
THEOCRITUS (fl. 270 B.C.E.)

Eclogae triginta, in Greek. Venice: Aldus Manutius, February 1495.

[Bound first with:] THEOGNIS (1st half 6th century B.C.?). Sententiae elegiacae, in Greek. - PYTHAGORAS (attributed to). Aurea carmina, in Greek. - PHOCYLIDES (mid-6th century B.C.). Poema admonitorium, in Greek. - HESIOD (fl. c. 700 B.C.). Theogonia. -Scutum Herculis. -Georgicon libri duo, all in Greek. - And other works, selections from gnostic poets. Edited by Aldus Manutius and Franciscus Roscius. Venice: Aldus Manutius, February 1495 [1496].



Editio princeps in a contemporary Italian binding of 12 Theocritean idylls, Theognis' Sentences of the Seven Sages, Hesiod's Theogony, and Shield of Heracles; the first edition in Greek of Cato's Distichs; second edition in Greek of 18 Theocritean Idylls and Hesiod's Works and Days (first published in Milan, c. 1480), and of the Pythagorean golden verses, and Phocylides (first published in the Aldine Lascaris, 1495). Theocritus is credited as being the originator of pastoral poetry, and his idylls strongly influenced poets from Virgil to Milton. Aldus published this compendium of Greek verse at the request of his former teacher, Battista Guarino, who wanted to lecture on the texts at Ferrara. Late in the press run a manuscript was found which supplied lines missing from Theocritus's idyll Megara, and Aldus reset the two outermost sheets of quire Z.F and all of quire T.G to correct the text. HC 15477*; BMC V, 554 (IB. 24402-8); CIBN T-101; Hoffmann III, 373; Renouard, Alde, 5.3; Essling 888; Sander 7235; Goff T-144.



Super-chancery folio (323 x 207 mm). 140 leaves; first state, uncorrected setting, of quires Z.F (two outermost sheets) and T.G. 30 lines. Types: 1:146Gk (text), 2:114R (title), 6:83R (dedication, colophon, contents). 38 woodcut floral or interlaced headpieces printed from 8 blocks and 40 woodcut initials from 20 blocks (title faintly soiled and small repair at gutter, occasional faint marginal spotting to a few leaves). Contemporary Italian blind-tooled morocco over wooden boards, covers with four panels, the three inner panels with decorative ropework borders and cornerpieces, the innermost panel with three blind-tooled diamonds with central decorative knots (rebacked, recornered and edges extensively repaired in the 19th-century, some edges uncut, some minor worming to covers). Provenance: near contemporary parallel Latin manuscript translation in the margin of the works by Pythagoras and Phocylides.







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No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.
Place of origin:Italy, Europe
Category:Incunabula, Printed book
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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13.07.2022 – 13.07.2022
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