Description

Cl. Claudiani. Quæ exstant. Nic. Heinsius dan. fil. Recensuit ac notas addidit, post priman editionem altera fere parte nunc auctiores. Accedunt Selecta Variorum Commentaria, accurante C. S. M. D. Amstelodami, Ex Officina Elzeviriana. An'o. 1665. xxviii, 917 p [xv] p, 8 x 4.75", 8vo. In fair condition. Front and rear hinges cracked. Full leather boards scuffed at edges and worn/bumped at corners. Head and tail of spine lacking (including headbands). Spine exhibits desiccation. Title label intact; gilt lettering and deco dulled and soiled, but attractive. Previous ownership bookplate found on front paste-down: "Edward Davenport." Front gutter split at engraved title page, cording exposed. Normal to light toning throughout text-block, with some instances of light age-satining. Small water or tea dampness stain found at fore-edges of pages 34 through 234. Old-hand ink marginalia found on rear paste-down. Binding intact; hinges cracked. Please see photos and ask questions, if any, before purchasing. Elzevir is the name of a family of Dutch booksellers, publishers, and printers of the 17th and early 18th centuries. The duodecimo series of "Elzevirs" became very famous and very desirable among bibliophiles (like ourselves), who sought to obtain the tallest and freshest copies of these books. Although it appears the family was involved with the book trade as early as the 16th century, it is only known for its work in some detail beginning with Lodewijk Elzevir. The fame of the Elzevir editions rests chiefly on the works issued by the firm of Bonaventura and Abraham Elzevir. Their Greek and Hebrew impressions are considered inferior to those of the Aldines and the Estiennes, but their small editions in 12mo, 16mo, and 24mo, for their elegance of design, neatness, clearness, regularity of type, and beauty of paper, cannot be surpassed. Daniel Elzevir (1626-1680) published this work in his lifetime. Claudius Claudianus , known in English as Claudian (Greek: Κλαυδιανός; c. 370 – c. 404 AD), was a Latin poet associated with the court of the Roman emperor Honorius at Mediolanum (Milan), and particularly with the general Stilicho . His work, written almost entirely in hexameters or elegiac couplets, falls into three main categories: poems for Honorius, poems for Stilicho, and mythological epic . Claudian wrote during an exciting time in history, and his works reflect the era. During his lifetime, Arcadius and Honorius, the weak sons of the last sole Roman emperor, Theodosius I, became weak puppets of strong generals and government ministers. Theodosius fought a fierce and bloody battle in 394 against the forces of the usurper Eugenius at the River Frigidus in which both Alaric the Visigoth and the master general Flavius Stilicho led imperial troops to victory. Claudian is considered by many to have been the last great poet of the ancient world. Nicolaas Heinsius the Elder (Latin: Nicolaus Heinsius; 1620 – 1681) was a Dutch classical scholar, poet and diplomat. He is regarded as a brilliant text critic in his critical publications of Claudian , Ovid (his most important work), Vergil, Prudentius, Velleius and Valerius Flaccus. Heinsius was appointed the official historian of the City of Amsterdam the same year this book was printed. He was also the owner of one of the largest private libraries in Europe and over13,000 volumes were sold by his estate after his death in 1681. RAREE1665DKLX 09/24 - HK2125