Roberti Stephani

New edition. Printer's device on title page. Colophon: Excudebat Robertus STephanus Parisiis, Ann. M. D. XXXIII. octavo cal. sept.
Full brown marbled sheep binding ca 1920, pastiche of a Renaissance binding, signed L. P. Thébaut. Spine with raised bands decorated with 5 small fleurons. Central roundel on covers, and thick gilt frame. Tear with loss at foot. Black stain at head and foot. Corners rubbed. Some foxing. Joints slightly cracked. Good copy.
Collection of three texts by Roman writers: The illustrated lives by Pliny the Younger, which are short biographies of famous men (Pompey, Hannibal, Scipio...); Suetonius's book on grammarians and rhetoricians is the last part of Lives of Illustrious Men (not completely transmitted to us), and finally, the famous book of prodigies by Julius Obsequens which relates the auguries and strange and marvelous events that occurred in Rome between 249 BC and 12 AD. This fragmentary work was often published following other ancient texts.
Several editions bringing together these texts can be found, with certain variants, notably for Pliny's works; the two other works by Suetonius and Obsequens being often coupled with Pliny's correspondence.

New edition for Polydore Vergil's book of inventions and first edition for Cicero's sentences. Fine italic impressions. Printer's devices on the title page. The Cicero edition is absent from English catalogues.

De rerum inventoribus was placed on the Index and republished in 1575 in an expurgated form, and the edition we present is therefore not expurgated. The first French translation appears to have been published in 1527 according to a copy at the University of Glasgow, although contradictory information gives 1528 as the date of the first French edition in Latin by Robert Estienne. Brunet gives 1499 for the date of the first edition.

Half marbled blonde sheep binding, early 19th century. Smooth spine with three fleurons. Beige title and volume labels. Missing endpaper on upper board of volume 1 and on lower board of volume 2. Very fresh interior.