Bibliothecae Historicae.
DIODORUS, Siculus [DIODORI, Siculi].
Bibliothecae Historicae libri qui supersunt, interpret Laurentio Rhodomano. Ad fidem Mss. recensuit Petrus Wesselingius, at que Henr. Stephani, Laur. Rhodomani, fulvii ursini, Henr. Valesii, Jacobi Palmerii & suas adnotationes, cum indicicbus locupletissimis, adjecit.
Amstelodami: Jacobi Wetstenii, 1746
Folio, 2 vols.; full vellum with double-gilt borders, central crest and cornerpieces gilt; seven raised bands with spine fully gilt in compartments; speckled edges; pp. Vol I [iv], [engraved title vignette], [i, title], [xxxv], [Portrait], [i] 2-731, [iv, Addenda], [iii, Excerpta], [ii]; Vol II [ii], [title]; [iv], 2-666, [110, Index], [i Addenda], [i, Errata], [ii]; addenda curiously pasted over text to p. iv of Vol II; with double columns in Greek and Latin with corresponding Latin commentary beneath; numerous woodcut initials, head and tailpieces throughout; some very light browning and spotting; a couple of corner creases to pages, some unusual teardrop shaping to the pages of Vol II, possibly caused during production; but else internally lovely copies, the binding rather soiled and stained, with compression to corners, lacking the original ties; some rubbing showing through to boards beneath, particularly to edges of boards, and a little pulling of the vellum around the crests; some ink and pencil markings to paste-downs; robust copies, nonetheless.
First Edition thus of the pinnacle work of the Greek Historian Diodorus of Sicily, a Universal History which originally ran to 40 volumes, only 15 of which survive, some of those in fragments only. The work is divided into three main component parts; the first covering the mythic history up to the division of Troy; the second covering the period from the trojan war to the death of Alexander the Great; and the third ending around 60 BC.
Although compiled by Diodorus, ‘Bibliothecae’, translating as ‘Library’, acknowledges the work of several other authors throughout history, with Diodorus himself as compiler. The first six books are geographical in theme, covering the history and culture of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Sythia, Arabia, North Africa, Greece and Europe consecutively. Of particular note are his depictions of the barbaric working conditions of gold mining in Egypt, the descriptions of Greek Mythology (including those of Dionysus, Herakles, and the Muses), the Trojian war, which includes the stories of Orpheus and Romulus, as well as mentions of philosophers such as Pythagoras and Zeno, and his musings on the causes of the fall of the Spartan empire.
An impressive 18th century edition of this monumental work, the earliest extant manuscript of which dates from the 10th century. As Dibdin notes, “the splendor and critical excellence of all former editions…are eclipsed by this of Peter Wesseling, which contains everything to be found in the preceding ones; and besides a learned preface, useful notes, and various illustrations of the author, presents us with the readings of better MSS., and very full and perfect indexes”. (Dibdin I, 497).
DIODORUS, Siculus [DIODORI, Siculi].
Bibliothecae Historicae libri qui supersunt, interpret Laurentio Rhodomano. Ad fidem Mss. recensuit Petrus Wesselingius, at que Henr. Stephani, Laur. Rhodomani, fulvii ursini, Henr. Valesii, Jacobi Palmerii & suas adnotationes, cum indicicbus locupletissimis, adjecit.
Amstelodami: Jacobi Wetstenii, 1746
Folio, 2 vols.; full vellum with double-gilt borders, central crest and cornerpieces gilt; seven raised bands with spine fully gilt in compartments; speckled edges; pp. Vol I [iv], [engraved title vignette], [i, title], [xxxv], [Portrait], [i] 2-731, [iv, Addenda], [iii, Excerpta], [ii]; Vol II [ii], [title]; [iv], 2-666, [110, Index], [i Addenda], [i, Errata], [ii]; addenda curiously pasted over text to p. iv of Vol II; with double columns in Greek and Latin with corresponding Latin commentary beneath; numerous woodcut initials, head and tailpieces throughout; some very light browning and spotting; a couple of corner creases to pages, some unusual teardrop shaping to the pages of Vol II, possibly caused during production; but else internally lovely copies, the binding rather soiled and stained, with compression to corners, lacking the original ties; some rubbing showing through to boards beneath, particularly to edges of boards, and a little pulling of the vellum around the crests; some ink and pencil markings to paste-downs; robust copies, nonetheless.
First Edition thus of the pinnacle work of the Greek Historian Diodorus of Sicily, a Universal History which originally ran to 40 volumes, only 15 of which survive, some of those in fragments only. The work is divided into three main component parts; the first covering the mythic history up to the division of Troy; the second covering the period from the trojan war to the death of Alexander the Great; and the third ending around 60 BC.
Although compiled by Diodorus, ‘Bibliothecae’, translating as ‘Library’, acknowledges the work of several other authors throughout history, with Diodorus himself as compiler. The first six books are geographical in theme, covering the history and culture of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Sythia, Arabia, North Africa, Greece and Europe consecutively. Of particular note are his depictions of the barbaric working conditions of gold mining in Egypt, the descriptions of Greek Mythology (including those of Dionysus, Herakles, and the Muses), the Trojian war, which includes the stories of Orpheus and Romulus, as well as mentions of philosophers such as Pythagoras and Zeno, and his musings on the causes of the fall of the Spartan empire.
An impressive 18th century edition of this monumental work, the earliest extant manuscript of which dates from the 10th century. As Dibdin notes, “the splendor and critical excellence of all former editions…are eclipsed by this of Peter Wesseling, which contains everything to be found in the preceding ones; and besides a learned preface, useful notes, and various illustrations of the author, presents us with the readings of better MSS., and very full and perfect indexes”. (Dibdin I, 497).
DIODORUS, Siculus [DIODORI, Siculi].
Bibliothecae Historicae libri qui supersunt, interpret Laurentio Rhodomano. Ad fidem Mss. recensuit Petrus Wesselingius, at que Henr. Stephani, Laur. Rhodomani, fulvii ursini, Henr. Valesii, Jacobi Palmerii & suas adnotationes, cum indicicbus locupletissimis, adjecit.
Amstelodami: Jacobi Wetstenii, 1746
Folio, 2 vols.; full vellum with double-gilt borders, central crest and cornerpieces gilt; seven raised bands with spine fully gilt in compartments; speckled edges; pp. Vol I [iv], [engraved title vignette], [i, title], [xxxv], [Portrait], [i] 2-731, [iv, Addenda], [iii, Excerpta], [ii]; Vol II [ii], [title]; [iv], 2-666, [110, Index], [i Addenda], [i, Errata], [ii]; addenda curiously pasted over text to p. iv of Vol II; with double columns in Greek and Latin with corresponding Latin commentary beneath; numerous woodcut initials, head and tailpieces throughout; some very light browning and spotting; a couple of corner creases to pages, some unusual teardrop shaping to the pages of Vol II, possibly caused during production; but else internally lovely copies, the binding rather soiled and stained, with compression to corners, lacking the original ties; some rubbing showing through to boards beneath, particularly to edges of boards, and a little pulling of the vellum around the crests; some ink and pencil markings to paste-downs; robust copies, nonetheless.
First Edition thus of the pinnacle work of the Greek Historian Diodorus of Sicily, a Universal History which originally ran to 40 volumes, only 15 of which survive, some of those in fragments only. The work is divided into three main component parts; the first covering the mythic history up to the division of Troy; the second covering the period from the trojan war to the death of Alexander the Great; and the third ending around 60 BC.
Although compiled by Diodorus, ‘Bibliothecae’, translating as ‘Library’, acknowledges the work of several other authors throughout history, with Diodorus himself as compiler. The first six books are geographical in theme, covering the history and culture of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Sythia, Arabia, North Africa, Greece and Europe consecutively. Of particular note are his depictions of the barbaric working conditions of gold mining in Egypt, the descriptions of Greek Mythology (including those of Dionysus, Herakles, and the Muses), the Trojian war, which includes the stories of Orpheus and Romulus, as well as mentions of philosophers such as Pythagoras and Zeno, and his musings on the causes of the fall of the Spartan empire.
An impressive 18th century edition of this monumental work, the earliest extant manuscript of which dates from the 10th century. As Dibdin notes, “the splendor and critical excellence of all former editions…are eclipsed by this of Peter Wesseling, which contains everything to be found in the preceding ones; and besides a learned preface, useful notes, and various illustrations of the author, presents us with the readings of better MSS., and very full and perfect indexes”. (Dibdin I, 497).