Senatus consulti de bacchanalibus sive aeneae vetustae tabulae Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis

First edition illustrated with a title vignette depicting a Roman bacchanalia engraved by Picini and 2 large folding plates on heavy paper engraved by Schmutzer, one with medals and a vase, the second being a facsimile of an epigraph on a bronze plaque, edict of consul Quintus Marcius on the conduct of the bacchanalia.
Italian binding in contemporary rigid full vellum. Smooth Jansenist spine. Brown sheep title label. Scattered foxing on title page and in margins. Handsome copy.
Bookplate of Roger Peyrefitte.
This scholar and librarian had acquired a solid reputation in the explanation of ancient monuments. Emperor Charles VI who had acquired a bronze plaque concerning an edict on the bacchanalia (precisely the one reproduced on the plate in the book), asked Egyzio to explain it to him. Egyzio composed on this occasion a learned commentary in this work, which obtained the assent of all the antiquarians of Europe. The bronze plaque actually contains a prohibition by the senate for the celebration of the bacchanalia.