Diodorus Siculus, Historiarum libri, Basel, 1539, later vellum

Diodorus Siculus

Του ιστοριων βιβλια τινα τα ευρισκομενα... Historiarum libri aliquot, qui extant [edited by Vincentius Obsopoeus]. Basel: (Johann Oporinus and Robert Winter, 1539)

4to (200 x 128mm.), woodcut initials, later vellum, title-page almost detached

Editio princeps of books 16-20 of Diodorus's universal library of history, ranging from the beginning of mankind until his own time, the late first century BC. It originally comprised forty books, of which only 1-5 and 11-20 survive relatively completely (there are fragments of some of the others). This is the first printing of any of the original Greek text.

LITERATURE:

VD16 D 1826

PROVENANCE:

IB, early monogram on title-page; Frank Murray, bookseller, Nottingham, label on inside front cover