Sophocles, Tragaediae septem, Venice, Aldus, 1502, later green calf

Sophocles

Τραγωδιαι επτα... Tragaediae septem. Venice: Aldus Manutius, in Aldi Romani Academia, August 1502

8vo (156 x 92mm.), text in Greek, with 3 blank leaves, woodcut Aldine device on final verso (otherwise blank), nineteenth-century green morocco over thick pasteboards, spine gilt in compartments with red morocco lettering-piece, first four leaves repaired at foredge, first few leaves slightly foxed, occasional light staining, last two leaves with small tear and stain at foot, spine faded

EDITIO PRINCEPS, and the first of Aldus's Greek texts to appear in his new octavo format. The commentaries mentioned on the title-page were not included in this edition and were later published in 1518 by the Gymnasium Mediceum, the Greek college in Rome whose press was established by Janus Lascaris, the dedicatee of Aldus's edition. Aldus's small Greek cursive appears in this edition for the first time; later in 1502 Francesco Griffo, Aldus's typecutter, left Aldus's employ, and no new fonts were cut after this. This is also the first book in which Aldus's Greek Academy is mentioned, in both the preface and the colophon: "in Aldi Romani Academia".

LITERATURE:

Aldo Manuzio tipografo 62; Edit16 36139; Renouard 34/6; UCLA 60

PROVENANCE:

Jo. Bapt. Rocien[-] (i.e. Jean-Baptiste Roucy?); Comte de Foy, sale, May 1926, pencil note on flyleaf