Φυσικὴς ἀκρόασις, Περὶ οὐρανοῦ … Paris 1561/1556

Φυσικὴς ἀκρόασις, Περὶ οὐρανοῦ, Περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς, Μετεωρολογικῶν …, Περὶ ψυχῆς, etc. 

Parisiis, M. D. LXI. Apud Guil. Morelium in Graecis typographum Regium. (Colophon:) Excudebat Guil. Morelius, in Graecis typographum Regius, Parisiis, M. D. LVI. Cal. Sept.

Paris. G. Morel, 1st September 1556 / 1561

4to (222 x 173 mm). Recent binding for which the gilt vellum of a 17th century folio was used. Apart from a faint watermargin to the first and last leaves a fine copy with ample margins. Basilisk device of the Royal Greek Printer (first used by Robert Estienne) with the motto below Βασιλεῖ τ᾿ἀγαθῷ κρατερῳ τ᾿αἰχμητῇ (Ilias III 179) on title-page.

ustc 153062 (4 copies); bp16 114533 (20 copies). 

A complete copy of Aristotle´s natural science writings. It seems to be the first Greek edition of this compilation. The editions Paris, Wechel, 1532, and Venice, Sessa, 1546 contain Φυσικὴς ἀκρόασις only. 

Morel´s catalogue of 1560 shows that the six parts were also sold separately: In 1560 Φυσικὴς ἀκρόασις was 6 sous, Περὶ οὐρανοῦ 3 sous 3 desniers, Περὶ γενέσεως 1 sous 9 desniers, Περὶ οὐρανοῦ 3 sous 3 desniers, Parva naturalia 3 sous 3 desniers, Μετεωρολογικῶν … 3 sous 9 desniers, Περὶ ψυχῆς 2 sous 3 desniers. The complete set was 20 sous in Morel’s 1560 and 1562 catalogues. Some libraries own parts of the set only.

The annotations at the end of the volume in some cases provide extensive variations on Morel’s text. The reader, he writes, may decide what he thinks is the best interpretation – ut hinc possit unusquisque quod melius probarit sumere.

For the 1561 edition Morel used unsold parts of the 1556 edition.

Φυσικὴ ἀκρόασις *² A⁴ B⁴ C⁴ D⁴ E-K⁴ L² M-Y⁴: (2) leaves, 181 p.

Περὶ οὐρανοῦ a-l⁴ m⁴: 100 p.

Περὶ γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς A-GG⁴: 55 p.

Μετεωρολογικῶν τῶν εἰς Δ aa-nn⁴ oo6: 116 p.

Περὶ ψυχῆς Aa-Ii⁴ (last blank): 70 p.

[Parva naturalia:]

Περὶ αἰσθήσεως καὶ αἰσθητῶν Aaa-Ddd²r: p. 1-27

Περὶ μνήμης, καὶ ἀναμνήσεως Ddd²v-Ddd⁶v: p. 28-36

Περὶ ὕπνου καὶ ἐγρηγόρσεως  Eee-Fff⁴ Ggg²v: p. 37-56

Περὶ τῆς καθ‘ ὕπνον μαντικῆς Ggg₃r-Hhh¹r: p. 57-61

Περὶ νεότητος καὶ γήρως … Hhh¹r-Lll²v: p. 61-88

Περὶ μακροβιότητος … Lll³v-Mmm²v: p. 89-94

Annotationes … Mmm²r-Nnn³v (Nnn4 blank): (11) pp., p. 12 colophon, 1 blank leaf