Dictys Cretensis & Dares Phygius

Wahrhafftige histori und beschreibung von dem Troianischen krieg und zerstörung der Stat Troie. Augsburg: Heinrich Steiner, 26 June 1536



Folio (11½ x 7⅝ in.; 292 x 194 mm). Title woodcut, 66 woodcut text illustrations (including repeats) by Schäufelein, Weiditz, Burgkmair and others, some large historiated woodcut initials, woodcut tail-pieces; two mended tears in lower margin of title entering image, title and next leaf guarded on stubs, marginal pen-trials on leaf H6, remains of section tab on fore-margin of one leaf, paper flaw in upper outer corner of leaf F4 mended, occasional marginal soiling or spotting. Antique vellum with yapp edges, green silk placemarker, manuscript title on spine, red sprinkled edges.

Fairfax Murray German 133

First edition in German.

These are the standard medieval sources for the history of the Trojan War, first printed in Messina (1498) in Latin. This  translation, by Marcus Tatius (d. 1562) who served in the household of Raymond Fugger, and later as professor of poetry at Ingoldstadt, is dedicated to Hieronymus Fugger.

The marvelous woodcut come from a variety of sources. Nineteen were made for illustrated editions of Cicero and Petrarch, published by Steiner in 1531-1532 and are attributed to Hans Weiditz. Six appeared first in the Theuerdank (Nuremberg, 1517) and are the work of Hans Schäufelein.