Herodotus, Histories, Venice, Aldo, 1502, nineteenth-century red morocco

Herodotus. Herodoti Libri nouem quibus Musarum indita sunt nomina Musarum nomina Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Tersichore, Erato, Polymnia, Vrania, Calliope [Greek]. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, September 1502

First edition of Herodotus' history of the Persian Wars, edited by Aldo himself, and arguably the first work that can truly be called a history in the modern sense. Rather than constructing a mere chronicle, Herodotus “was the first to collect his materials systematically, to test their accuracy as far as he could, and arrange his story in such a way as to appeal to, as well as inform, his readers” (PMM). Herodotus’s History attempts to identify both cause and effect, and places the wars into the larger context of Greek history. A very attractive copy of this rare, monumental work of scholarship.

Folio (314 x 209 mm). Greek and Roman type, 55 lines plus headline. collation: aaAA-ppRR⁸ εεSS⁴: 140 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and verso of εεSS4. (Title a bit browned and with small repairs at lower margin, small inherent paper flaw to hhGG5, stray spots.)

binding: Nineteenth-century red morocco (319 x 223 mm), covers triple ruled in gilt, spine with raised bands in seven compartments, second and third gilt-lettered, others with repeat gilt decoration, inner dentelles gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

provenance: John Scott (1830-1903), bookplate to pastedown, "AMO" and "J.Y.S." — Sotheby's London, 27 March-6 April 1905, lot 907 — Johnston, purchased in previous sale. acquisition: Purchased from Bernard Quaritch, London, 1970. references: UCLA 62; Renouard 35/8; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 64; Grolier/Aldus 16; Edit16 22655; USTC 835663