HERODIAN HISTORIARUM LIBRI VIII.

pp. [viii], 182, [ii], 79, [i]. Woodcut Estienne device on title page. Greek and Latin in parallel columns. Text uniformly foxed. Manuscript description of the acquistion (in 1800) of this copy and other bibliographic points. 4to. 26 cm. 18th century full limp vellum binding. Herodianus, supposed to have been a Syrian Greek, flourished during the third century A.D. In 203 he was in Rome, where he held some minor posts. His great historical work was written in Greek and narrates the events of the fifty-eight years between the death of Marcus Aurelius and the proclamation of Gordianus III. (180-238). The narrative is of special value as supplementing Dion Cassius, whose history ends with Alexander Severus. Chronicling the events of his own times, gifted with ordinary powers of observation, indubitable candour and independence of view his work is of inestimable value. He gives a lively account of many events such as: the death of Commodus; the assassination of Pertinax; how Didius Julianus bought the Roman Empire at auction; etc. Extensive use has been made of Herodianus by later chroniclers, especially the 'Scriptores historiae Au gustae' and John of Antioch. Poliziano did the first translation into Latin (1493) which conferred celebrity status on Herodian for the duration of the Renaissance. This Herodian was described by Dibdin as `an elegant, rare and critical edition', with notes and textual revisions by Henri Estienne. This is the first edition of any part of Zosimus (Editio Princeps), although Estienne only printed the first two books, translated by Leunclavius. The volume was dedicated to Sir Philip Sidney. Estienne (Etienne) (Latinized as Stephanus) was a great family of Parisian and Genevan printers of the 16th and 17th century, distinguished through five generations in scholarship as well as in their craft. Henri Estienne , Jr. (1531?-1598), was the greatest scholar of the family. He inherited his father's (Robert) press on the express condition that it should not be moved from Geneva. He was a well-trained scholar and devoted years to searching for manuscripts. Although humanism was far advanced, he, nevertheless, discovered numerous works of classical authors of which he issued first editions. His editions of Greek and Latin works are remarkable for their accuracy and textual criticism. Renouard 149/7; Schreiber 209; Dibdin II, 15; Adams H388, S1738. **PRICE JUST REDUCED! Small Box OST 1