Vitae Plutarchi Cheronei novissime post Iodocum Badium Ascensium longe diligentius repositae: maioreque diligentia castigatae: cum copiosiorem verioreque indice. Necnon cum Aemilij Probi vitis. Una cum figuris: suis locis apte dispotitis

Autore: PLUTARCHUS (ca. 46-120)

Tipografo: Melchiorre Sessa & Pietro Ravani

Dati tipografici: Venezia, 26 novembre 1516


FIRST PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF PLUTARCH'S VITAE PARALLELAE

 

Folio (318x212 mm). [26], CCCLX [i.e. 359] leaves. Leaf CXIV omitted in numbering. Lacking the final blank YY8. Collation: +-++8 +++10 A-Z8 AA-YY8. Title page printed in red and black with the printer's device in the center. Other device on l. YY7v below the colophon and the register. With 78 woodcut illustrations in text of different sizes, 2 of which (ll. MM1r e XX1v) have been anciently colored. Several decorated initials on black ground. 18th-century cardboards, later vellum covering on spine, manuscript shelfmark on the back panel, red edges (faded). Small ink hole on l. CC3 not affecting the text, some light staining, but a good copy.

 

First profusely illustrated edition of Plutarch's Vitae parallelae. This is in fact the first edition of this work accompanied by a significant number of figures created on purpose to illustrate Plutarch's lives. The text and notes are those edited by Josse Bade and first published at Paris in 1512. At the end are added other lives of illustrious personalities of the antiquity and early Middle Ages, such as Charlemagne, taken from Isocrates, Cornelius Nepos (by the latter are also the lives attributed in the volume to Emilius Probus), Guarino Veronese, and Donato Acciaiuoli.

 

Essling, 597; Sander, 5785; Olschki, Choix, 5086; Curi Nicolardi, no. 8; Edit 16, CNCE30046.


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