Themistius, Opera, Venice, Aldus, 1534, straight-grained red morocco gilt, Spranger copy

Themistius

Omnia Themistii opera, hoc est paraphrases, et orationes. Alexandri Aphrodisiensis libri duo de anima, et de fato unus. Venice: heirs of Aldus and Andrea Torresano, May 1534

folio (300 x 207mm.), woodcut Aldine device on title-page and on final verso (otherwise blank), text in Greek, A1 with woodcut headpiece, initial and start of title printed in red, other headpieces and initials printed in black, nineteenth-century straight-grained red morocco gilt, flat spine gilt, extremities slightly rubbed

EDITIO PRINCEPS of the works of Themistius, the fourth-century pagan philosopher and rhetorician, a contemporary of the Emperor Julian. The second work is by the second-century Aristotle commentator, Alexander of Aprodisias, on the intellect. Aldus had printed several Aristotle commentaries to complement his editio princeps, and this is a continuation of that tradition by his heirs.

LITERATURE:

Edit16 27232; Renouard 111/3; UCLA 270

PROVENANCE:

John Alfred Spranger, Trinity College Cambridge, armorial bookplate (some of his Greek books sold, Sotheby's, 21 November 1989, but this book not found in the catalogue)