Rerum Romanarum … epitome. — Paris 1551

[sold]

Ἐκ τῶν Ῥωμαικῶν ἱστοριῶν, ἀπὸ Πομπηίου Μάγνου μέχρις Αλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μαμαίας, ἐπιτομὴ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χιφιλίνου. Dionis Nicaei Rerum Romanarum a Pompeio Magno ad Alexandrum Mamaeae, Epitome authore Ioanne Xiphilino. Ex Bibliotheca Regia. — Lutetiae, Ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi Regii, Regiis typis. M.D.LI. Cum privilegio Regis. [ Paris, Robertus Stephanus, 1551].

Editio princeps

4to (247 x 163 mm). a-z⁴ A-Z⁴: 357, (3) pp. Signatures: Instead of kii, kiii Estienne used lzi and lzii. I have no idea why. Was he short of minuscule k?  Basilisc device of the Royal Greek Printer on title.  Watermargin on lower outer third of leaves 223ff. Ms. notes on fly-leaf, which is nearly loose; name on title; first 3 laevs with brown spot in very upper margin.  Contemporary vellum, soiled. – Renouard 80, no. 8.

¶ „Editio Princeps of the epitome of Dio’s Roman History, done in the 11th century by Joannes Xiphilinus, which is our only source for Dio’s lost books 61-80, dealing with the events from 47 to 235 A.D., the most important period of Roman imperial history. Robert Estienne issued this epitome to complement his folio edition of Dio Cassius of 1548.

The book is beautifully printed in the first font of the „grecs du roi“, from an unpublished manuscript in the Royal Library. This volume and the Justin Martyr of the same year are the last Greek texts to carry Robert Estienne’s Paris imprint. Of the present edition there exists another issue, in which Robert Estienne’s name is omitted. This may be the very last book to bear Robert Estienne’s Paris imprint.“ (Schreiber 108)