Classical History

1570 Valerius Maximus Dictorum Factorum ROME Tiberius Scipio Latin Vellum
A rare printing of Valerius's "Dictorum et Factorum" or Historical Anecdotes. This work is a collection of short stories, sayings, and phrases, memorial to Tiberius Caesar, who was reigning during Valerius' lifetime. These anecdotes depict ancient Greek life and philosophy as well as famous kings and Caesars. Many modern historians claim that Valerius's work was taken from Cicero, Livy, and Sallust, as well as other ancient historians and philosophers, rather than creating original works.
However, many of the topics he writes about were controversial and unusual for the time – he wrote on homosexuality within the Roman army and the aristocracy of ancient Greece. While homosexually itself was written on, it was only considered tolerable in a 'master-slave' relationship; not within a public and high status sense. Other topics include omens, revenge, superstitious cults, women lawyers, modesty, crimes, and conflicting political… Read More

1590 Juvenal & Persius Satires Stoic Philosophy Latin Pithou Geneva Sulpicia

"Many commit the same crime with a very different result. One bears a cross for his crime; another a crown."
― Juvenal, The Satires
A rare 1590 Latin printing of 'The Satires' of Juvenal and Persius. This collection of satirical poetry was written in the late 1st and 2nd centuries and discuss society, social norms, irony, each of these providing insight to the morals and values of Roman life at the time. Juvenal outlines many of the concerns he has with Roman citizens including unfaithfulness and greed; issues he recognized as downfalls to society. Many of the satires include references to Greek and Roman mythology.
This exceedingly rare 1590 edition was printed in Geneva and edited by Pierre Pithou. In addition to the expected satires of Juvenal and Persius, this edition features the works of the lesser-known Sulpicia. According to the USTC, no examples of this edition are found in any North American institution! Very… Read More

1872 1ed Complaynt of SCOTLAND 1549 Three Estates Henry VIII Harrysone Bodrugan

"The Complaynt of Scotlande with Ane Exortatione to the Thre Estaits to be Vigilante in the Deffens of Their Public Veil. 1549." is an anthology compiled and edited by James Augustus Henry Murray, published in 1872. The book is a compelling collection of historical documents and tracts from the mid-16th century, focusing on the political and societal dynamics of Scotland. The primary text, "The Complaynt of Scotlande," is an impassioned plea for the three estates of Scotland - the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners - to protect their public welfare amid the political turmoil of the time. Supplementing this main piece are additional contemporary English tracts, including the justifications of King Henry VIII from 1542, an exhortation by James Harrysone in 1547, a letter from the Lord Protector Somerset in 1548, and a summary by Nicholas Bodrugan (also known as Adams), from 1548. The book serves as a rich source of… Read More

8° (mm 174x118), pp. IV, 44. Frontespizio entro bordura silografica. Legatura coeva in cartoncino ricoperto da carta decorata del '700. Ottimo esemplare.
First Italian translation of Lucianus' Perì Orchéseos, a text whose Latin version had so much success during the Renaissance theoretical debate about literary genres.
Prima edizione in italiano, molto rara, del Perì Orchéseos del filosofo di Samosata, che tanta fortuna ebbe nel corso del Rinascimento (cfr. A.M. Andrisano, La fortuna del De saltatione di Luciano nel Rinascimento: il caso di Rinaldo Corso, "Italianistica: rivista di letteratura italiana", XLVII, 3, 2018, pp. 45-58). Strutturato come dialogo fra Licino (alter ego dell'autore) e il suo contraddittore Cratone, il testo rappresenta un vero e proprio manifesto in difesa dell'arte della danza e della sua figlia legittima, la pantomima. La traduzione commentata è dedicata - da uno pseudonimo, "Crittodunamio", non identificato - al celebre ballerino e coreografo Antonio Muzzarelli… Read More

Rome, a spese di Venanzio Monaldini, e Paolo Giunchi, 1791.. 2 volumes, complete set, FIRST EDITION 1791-94, Translated and edited by Cardinal Lodovico Flangini, parallel Greek and Italian text with explanation in Italian, 4to, approximately 280 x 210 mm, 11 x 8¼ inches, each title page has a different engraving, 2 engravings in the prelim pages plus 17 engravings of varying size in the text, large folding map at the end of the prelims, pages: xxxix, 168, 199-434, [2]; xxviij, 531, [1], the jump in pagination in Volume I is a printer's error, the register and text are continuous, bound in modern half calf, red and green gilt lettered labels, gilt rules and decoration to spine, mottled paper covered boards, new endpapers, speckled edges. Rubbing to corners, neat inscription (C. J. R. Coleridge, address and date 1860) on front endpaper, tiny blind stamp of bookseller on endpaper of Volume II, small chip to 3 fore-edge margins, small tear to 1 fore-edge margin, all due to paper flaws, a couple of pages… Read More

Paris: Furne et Cie,, 1861. Signed Quinet binding. Half-bound leather. Published Paris: Furne et Cie, 1861. 8vo., 7 1/4" x 10 1/2", iv+648pp., illustrated frontis and numerous tissue-guarded plates, hand colored folding map at rear. Half-bound in red leather with raised bands and panels, gilt titles and designs and red pebbled cloth over boards, marbled endpapers, all edge gilting. Wear at the spine ends, covers rubbed/faded. Text and plates clean and bright. Very good internally. Binding good. . Full-Leather. Very Good Minus/No Jacket. 8vo.

Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1999. 1st edition. Hardcover. Fine/Very Good. Near Fine in VG dw. 8vo, xvi+808pp, slate cloth with spine stamped in gold, printed dustwrapper. First hardcover edition of this significant study of Grecian music. Unmarked copy, minor wear, dustwrapper has a bit of fading to spine.

Tan leather binding with red title plate, gilt decoration and title on the spine. Gilt 'Cambridge panel' decoration on the boards. In Latin. Rebacked many years ago.
Chacón, A., Historia utriusque belli Dacici a Traiano Caesare gesti. With 2 coppers on 1 l. and 132 ( 2 multiple folding) copper plates. Rome, J. Mascardi 1616. Please download the enclosed selected photographs - upon application all 132+ photographs can be forwarded to interested parties. Naturally, galleries and museums can benefit from a discounted price as it is preferred that this precious volume remains intact.


This is a great book, a magnificent work of art perfected on a series of coppers on Trajan's Column in Rome by the best the world has seen.


The First Edition (1576) was crafted by Giulio Pippi (after Raphael)


This 1616 book (the second edition) is one of the most remarkable Renaissance series of illustrations. These coppers were made by Francesco Villamena, who followed the models & workings of Raphael and his students… Read More