Alexander Aphrodisiensis, In topica Aristotelis commentaria, Venice, Aldus, 1513, red morocco gilt

Alexander Aphrodisiensis. Alexandri Aphrodisiei in Topica Aristotelis, commentarii. (Venice: Aldo Manuzio and Andrea Torresano, September 1513 [15 February 1514])

Editio princeps of Alexander’s Commentary on Topics, dated September 1513 in the colophon, but 15 February 1514 in Aldo’s dedicatory letter to Alberto Pio. Here Aldo apologizes to the Prince of Carpi for the delay in issuing the book, explaining that he had been hoping to include a commentary by Francesco Vettori (1483/1484-1529) - thereby producing a book consisting of 50 sheets - however a fire in Vettori’s house had destroyed the manuscript. The text was edited by Marc Mousouros, relying (directly, or on apographs) on two manuscripts then in Venice: one belonging to Aristoboulos Apostoles (now Paris, BnF, Gr. 1832, containing notes by Mousouros), the other to the physician Alessandro Bondino (now Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele, III D 37, annotated by a professional scribe known as the “Anonymous Harvardianus”, closely involved with Aldo in preparation of the editiones principes of Aristotle). Musuro had earlier made at the behest of Alberto Pio a Latin translation of Topica I-IV (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ms Vat. Lat. 4564).

Folio (295 x 190 mm). Greek type, 48 lines plus headline. collation: A⁸ (A1+χ2) B-R⁸ S⁶: 144 leaves (χ2 blank). Woodcut Aldine device on title-page. (Some wormholes.)

binding: Eighteenth-century French red morocco (306 x 207 mm), triple gilt fillet border, spine gilt in compartments, gilt edges. (Extremities very slightly rubbed.)

provenance: Charles W. Clark (The Library of Charles W. Clark, San Francisco, 1914, I, p.2). acquisition: Purchased from John Fleming, New York, 1970. references: UCLA 118; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 120; Edit16 1034; Renouard 62/5