Περὶ τοῦ Πελοποννησιακου πολέμου βιβλία ὀκτώ — Geneva 1564

Περὶ τοῦ Πελοποννησιακου πολέμου βιβλία ὀκτώ. Thucydidis Olorii filii de bello Peloponnesiaco libri octo. Iidem Latine, ex interpretatione Laurentiae Vallae, an Henrico Stephano recognita. — Anno M.D.LXIII. Excudebat Henricus Stephanus, illustris viri Huldrichi Fuggeri typographus.

Geneva, Henri Estienne, 1564

Folio (344 x 213 mm). *⁸ a-s⁸ t⁶: (8) leaves, 297, (1) pp., (1) leaf; A-S⁶ T⁴: 216 pp., (4) leaves. Titel in red & black. 18th century calf, spine gilt. Joints splitted along upper and lower compartment, some scratches and spots on both covers. – Renouard 123, no. 7; Hoffmann III 551-552.

„First Estienne edition of Thucydides, which is also the first edition to print the Greek text accompanied by a Latin translation; although the title-page states that the translation is that of Lorenzo Valla, revised by Estienne, it is practically entirely by the latter: in his preface Henri gives samples of Valla’s Latin translation and Seyssel’s French version, and, by comparing both to the Greek original, shows that Seyssel compounded the errors and obscurities of Valla.

Estienne has also included the Greek scholia, which surround the Greek text on the page; he has been able to correct and clarify several thorny passages in Thucydides by his distinctive use of punctuation and parentheses, which was followed by later editors. Henri’s preface is addressed to Joachim Camerarius.“ (Schreiber 153)

When Henri took control of the Geneva family business he had the financial backing from Ulrich Fugger, a member of the wealthy Augsburg banking family. For ten years during which Estienne enjoyed the financial support of Fugger, he termed himself on the title-pages of his editions: Huldrici Fuggeri typographus.