Dionysius Periegetes, De situ orbis libellus, Paris, 1547, later green calf, Curterius-Yemeniz copy

Dionysius Periegetes

Της οικουμενης περιηγησις υπομνεματισθεσια. De situ orbis libellus [commentary by Eustathius Thessalonicensis]. Paris: Robert Estienne, 1547

4to (251 x 166mm.), text in Greek, woodcut Estienne device on title-page, numerous early annotations in a neat humanist hand in both Latin and Greek, dated 12 March 1572, later straight-grained green calf gilt, spine gilt in compartments with the lettering "C. NOTIS MSS. CURTERII", gilt edges, small adhesive label to upper cover

A FINE COPY WITH ANNOTATIONS BY THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY GREEK SCHOLAR JOANNES CURTERIUS. Not much is known of Joannes Curterius (c. 1540?-after 1583, Jean Courtier?), who edited and translated Greek texts; he has been described as both French and English, living in Paris. He was the tutor of members of the La Rochefoucauld family, with whom he was in Bologna in 1579, according to one of his prefaces (see Anna Cataldi Palau, Greek Manuscripts from the Meerman Collection, pp.25-26).

The marginal annotations in this volume are delineated by a fold along the outer margin of each leaf, and mostly refer to the place names mentioned in the text, but with a few other notes of interest; in the section about the Nile (p.40), Curterius has written out the number of each letter (according to the Greek system of numerals) to find that the letters Νειλος add up to 365. He also provides the date that he completed his reading, 12 March 1572, below the end of the text.

LITERATURE

Renouard, Estienne p.70; USTC 149783

PROVENANCE

"Joannis Curterii 1559", paper label pasted to inside front cover; Joh. Henrici Böcker, Paris, 1706, inscription at foot of title-page and a note about Curterius on verso of flyleaf; Nicolas Yemeniz (1783-1871), bookplate, his sale, Paris, 1867, lot 2663 (giving the height of the paper, and stating that the notes are by Boecker)