Organon in Greek — Florence 1521

[Organon] 

Ταδε ἔνεϛι ἐν τῇδε τῇ βίβλιῳ

Πορφυρίου εἰσαγωγή

Αριϛοτέλους κατηγοριῶν

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ περὶ ἑρμενείας

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀναλυτικὰ πρότερα

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀναλυτικὰ ὕϛερα

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ τοπικῶν

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ περὶ σοφιϛικῶν ἐλέγχων

In hoc libro haec insunt.

Porphyrii introductio. Liber unus.

Aristotelis praedicamentorum. Liber unus.

Eiusdem Perherminias. Liber unus.

Eiusdem Priora resolutoria. Libri duo.

Eiusdem Posteria resolutoria. Libri duo.

Eiusdem Topicorum. Libri octo.

Eiusdem Elenchi. Liber unus.

 

(Colophon:) Florentiae per haeredes Philippi Iuntae Anno Domini M.D.XXI. Mense Februario.

Florence, Giunta, February 1521.

 

Second edition, and first separate edition of Aristotle’s Organon in Greek

4to (235 x 166 mm, binding: 239 x 176 mm). a-t⁸: 151, (1) leaves. Device on verso of last leaf.

Wide margins, a few deckle edges, marginal foxing and staining to a number of quires.

Contemporary Venetian dark brown morocco. Outer frame of double blind filets, inner frame similarly composed with with exedrae at centre points and the middle of the filets, small leaf at outer angels, centerpiece composed of 8 semicircles, two of the small leaves used for the outer angels above and below the centerpiece, one in the middle of it. Very skillfully rebacked at an early date.

Provenance: „Ex libris S. Antonii“ on title-page and „Ex libris prioratus Santi Antonii“ on second leaf, shelf number on fly-leaf.

The editor, Antonio Francini da Montevarchi (c. 1480 – after 537) was a typical tutor to noble Florentine families. He is the editor of more than twenty various editions (among these the important Sophocles and Aristophanes of 1522), some of which are the result not only of a compilation of other prints, but also of original philological work to restore the texts. Between 1518 and 1530, Francini enjoyed the peak of his career; he introduced his editions with a number of important prefaces for example on the primacy of Greek or Latin, on the problems of translation, on contemporary wars and crises.

In the dedication of our book to Ignazio Squarcialupi Francini mentions the help of Marcello Virgilio Adriani (1464-1521), the Florentine humanist and politician in editing the Organon.

Initials, headpieces and type (20 lines=90 mm, Kallierges 2) were cut and used by the printer Zacharias Kallierges in his books of 1509. The font was sold to the Giunti and used by them from 1514/1515 through 1542.

Edit 16 2890 (8 copies in Italian libraries); ustc 810898 (adds another 8 copies – GW lists 355 copies of the first edition Aldus 1495); Hoffmann I 277; not in Adams. Rare.