De seipso … — Zurich 1559

[sold]

De seipso seu vita sua libri XII Graece et Latine nunc primum editi. Guilielmo Xylandro Augustano interprete … Marino Neapolitani De Procli vita et foelicitate liber: Graece et Latineque nunc primum publicatus …  — Tiguri, apud Andream Gesnerum F. M. D. LIX. [Zürich, Andreas Gessner, 1559].

Editio princeps of Marc Aurel and of Marinos of Neapolis

8vo (155 x 95 mm). A⁸ a-n⁸ p¹ A-B⁸ C⁴ A⁸ a-l⁸ m⁴: (8) ff., 200 pp., 33 pp., 13 pp., 181 pp. 18th century mottled calf; head of spine chipped at left side, lower joint splitting in the top compartment. – VD16 M-964; Adams A-1233; Hoffmann I² 185f. and II² 581. Collation in detail:

Latin text:

A⁸ prelims; misprintings: A₃ as B₃, A₅ as B₅, p. 4 as 20, 5 as 21, 8 as 24, 9 as 25, 12 as 28, 13 as 29

a-m⁸ n⁴ De seipso in Latin

n⁵-p¹ notes by Xylander

A⁸ B⁸ C¹ Marinus Neapolitanus, De Procli vita

C²-C⁴ notes on Marinos; C₃, C₄ blank

Greek text:

A⁸ title-page, prelims; A₈ blank

a-k⁶ De seipso in Greek

k^7,8 l⁸ m⁴ Marinos in Greek; lacking blank m₄.

Seems to be a surprisingly rare book: Online catalogues show 9 copies only outside Switzerland and Germany, which both have four copies. 

On Marinus in Enc. Brit. 1911: „Marinus, neo-Platonist philosopher, was born in Palestine [in Nablus, JD] and was early converted to the old Greek religion. He came to Athens at a time when, with the exception of Proclus, there was a great dearth of eminent men in the neo-Platonic school. It was for this reason rather than for any striking ability of his own that he succeeded to the headship of the school on the death of Proclus. During this period the professors of the old Greek religion suffered severe persecution at the hands of the Christians and Marinus was compelled to seek refuge at Epidaurus. His chief work was a biography of Proclus, which is extant. It was first published with the works of Marcus Antoninus in 1559; it was republished separately by Fabricius at Hamburg in 1700, and re-edited in 1814 by Boissonade with emendations and notes. Other philosophical works are attributed to him, including commentaries on Aristotle and on the Philebus. It is said that he destroyed the latter because Isidore, his successor, expressed disapproval of it.“

The printer Andreas Geßner (14553-1559) printed, together with his brother Hans Jakob, only two other books in Greek: Ruland’s Greek Grammer, and an Aelianus, both in 1556.