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1 500 €

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(Jean-Baptiste COLBERT) & CONSTANTIN

Constantini Porphyrogennetae Imperatoris opera : in quibus Tactica nunc primum prodeunt

Ex Officina Elzeviriana (Elzevir), Lugduni Batavorum 1617, in-8 (11,5x18cm), (16) 230 pp. (2) 45pp. ; 58pp. (4) 307pp., 3 parties reliées en un volume.

First edition of the publication of Johannes Van Meurs, printed in Greek and Latin. It contains in particular the De administrando imperio which despite a general title at the date of 1617, wears the colophon date of printing of 1611. This text, known thanks to manuscripts, had never been printed before.
Contemporary binding in full vellum red speckled lapel, smooth back with a title pen, all slices flecked with red.
Several red underlines and marginal handwritten annotations of the time.
In line with the great works of princely education, Constantine dedicated this book to his son Roman II. The emperor deals mainly with the diplomatic relations of the Empire with his neighbors and explains to his heir how to manipulate the enemies so that they neutralize each other. Constantin also evokes in this work the famous Greek fire, enjoining Romain II to never reveal the secrets carefully guarded of its manufacture.
Copy of Colbert presenting, at the front of the front page, the ex-libris of his library handwritten by his librarian Etienne Baluze.
Like his patron Cardinal Mazarin, Colbert brings together one of the most important and beautiful libraries in France that he never stopped enriching until the end of his life. Bibliomane before the hour, he mandated numerous correspondents charged to unearth the works not only in province, but across all Europe.
Two months after the death of Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1683, his family commissioned an inventory of the books in his library, made up of more than 20,000 printed volumes and more than 8,000 ancient manuscripts. Our book appears in the catalog of the sale of the library of Colbert (1728) under the number 16211.
Nice copy of this book that belonged to the prestigious Colbertine library.

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