Herodotus

Chancery folio (289 x 196mm.), 260 leaves (initial blank bound at end), [a-z A-B¹⁰ C⁶ D⁴], 35 lines, roman type, 2- to 7-line initial spaces with printed guides, b6r with early annotations in red, some deckle edges, a few contemporary manuscript signatures, modern marbled calf, morocco lettering-pieces on spine, traces of old yellow edges, first 2 leaves frayed at foot, last few leaves frayed at foredge, washed (with loss of early manuscript annotations), a few wormholes at beginning and end

Amadeo Svajer, armorial bookplate; Prince Lichnowsky, booklabel; Schloss Grätz, two armorial bookplates and ink stamp at foot of first leaf; bought from T. Symonds, 29 June 1977 for £950, pencil note at end

Svajer (1727-1791), a German merchant of Venice, was a collector of books and medieval manuscripts whose library was sold in Venice in 1794; this book appears on p.10 of the sale catalogue, described as "exemplar nitidissimum".

The Lichnowsky family, of Schloss Grätz near Troppau in Silesia (modern Hradec nad Moravicí), were famous as the patrons of Mozart and Beethoven. Some of their books and manuscripts were sold in these rooms, 20 June 1900.

Goff H88; HC 8469; BMC v 213, xii 14; BSB-Ink H-120; Bod-inc H-054; GW 12321

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A LARGE COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION OF HERODOTUS. Herodotus was "rediscovered" early in the fifteenth century and Valla carried out this translation in around 1452; a translation by Matteo Palmieri from the 1460s was never published, and Herodotus was known to non-Greek readers solely from this version. Herodotus' reputation declined somewhat around this time, being labelled "the father of lies" rather than "the father of history", only to revive in the sixteenth century through the writings of Joachim Camerarius and Henri Estienne. The Greek text was first published by Aldus in 1502.

In Brugnoli's dedicatory letter to Nicolò Donato at the end of the book, in which he praises the benefits to mankind of the art of printing, the editor declares that printers need scholars like him to revise and amend the text.