Epplett, Christopher: Gladiators and Beast Hunts: Arena Sports of Ancient Rome. Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2016. First edition. 8vo., pp. xii, 196 + plates. Hardback: blue cloth, silver-lettered to spine. Dust-jacket. Unused, a hint only of shelf-dust: a fine copy. Ref: 54347
Eusebius of Caesarea: Ecclesiasticae historiae: Eusebii Pamphili lib. X; eiusdem de vita Constantini lib. V; Socratis lib. VII; Theodoriti episcopi Cyrensis lib. V; collectaneorum ex historia eccles. Theodori Lectoris lib. II; Hermii Sozomeni lib. IX; Euagrii lib. VI. Lutetiae Parisiorum [Paris]: Ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi Regii, Regiis typis, 1544. Editio princeps. Folio, ff.[iv], 361 [misnumbered 353], 181, [v]. P5 blank as usual. Robert Estienne's basilisk device (B1) to title, device 10 on final leaf. Large engraved initials and head-pieces. Without ffep. Quite large repair to title-page but text unaffected, generally very clean and bright. Later simple dark brown calf, raised bands, single gilt tool to each compartment, double line gilt border to boards, edges sprinkled red. Lightly but comprehensively scuffed, loss to headcap, joints rubbed, corners bumped and one frayed, good. To front pastedown, a bookplate with coat of arms apparently of Thomas Augustus Wolstenholme Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield (1811-1896), 'North Library' and the printed date 1860. Editio princeps, printed by Robert Estienne. Also in 1544 Estienne printed Eusebius's De evangelica praeparatione and De evangelica demostratione in the same stylish Greek typeface, Claude Garamond's 'Grec du roi'. Decorations and initials were designed by Geoffroy Tory. Dibdin describes this edition as a 'beautiful book', and observes that 'the first printed edition of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius was in the Latin tongue, from the version of Rufinus, and published by Ketelaer and De Leempt in 1474'. The volume contains sources for the history of the late antique period, written by Eusebius in the 320s. 'When Fran?ois I appointed Robert Estienne his new Printer in Greek, in 1542, he also commissioned Claude Garamond to cut a new Greek font intended specifically to be used to print Greek books from unpublished Greek manuscripts in the Royal Library at Fontainebleau. These new Royal Greek types, known as "grecs du roi", were based by Garamond on the script of the Cretan Angelo Vergecio, a well-known calligrapher in the employ of Fran?ois I. These cursive Greek types are universally acknowledged as the finest ever cut. The first text selected for printing in the first font of the Royal Greek types was the great "Ecclesiatical History" of Eusebius, from manuscripts in the Royal Library. The volume marks the first appearance of a full text in the first font of the "grecs du roi" and is the first major Greek text produced by Estienne as King's Printer in Greek. This is also the first book in which appear the splendid matching initials and headpieces, which are considered "among the best of the printed decorations used in the sixteenth century" (Updike).' (Schreiber, pp.76) Schreiber, 77; Dibdin I, 194-5. Ref: 55049show full image..
Eutropius: Breviarum Historiae Romanae. Accedunt Selectae lectiones dilucidando Auctori appositae. Parisiis [Paris]: Typis Josephi Barbou. 1754. 12mo., pp. [ii], xxviii, 221, [i]. Additional engraved frontispiece, engraved head- and tailpieces. Frontispiece and title a bit dusty, minimal foxing, margins of two leaves lightly waterstained, traces of small pasted paper slip on verso of last leaf. Contemporary crimson morocco, triple gilt ruled, spine triple gilt ruled, large gilt fleurons, gilt-lettered morocco label, small worm hole at foot, inner edges gilt, a.e.g. Joints expertly repaired, boards lightly rubbed. 18th century armorial bookplate of Louis des Champes des Tournelles to front pastedown, book label of Alfred Neild to ffep, bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst to flyleaf. An attractively-printed pocket edition of the abridged Roman history written by the 4th century historian Eutropius. This copy belonged to Louis des Champes des Tournelles (1744-95), a staunch Jacobin appointed French Minister of Finance in 1793. After Robespierre's abolition of ministries, he was imprisoned for defending too ardently his brother, later executed on the guillotine. Louis died of poisoning in 1795. Brunet II 1116. Ref: 53163show full image..
Fabricius, J.A.: Bibliotheca Graeca, sive Notitia scriptorum veterum Graecorum. Hamburgi [Hamburg]: apud Christian Liebzeit & Theodor. Christoph. Felginer, 1714-1728 14 vols (I-II bound together, IV in two vols). 4to. I-II: pp. [2], [14], 940; III: pp. [2], [14], 830, including one full-page engraved illustration; IV/1: pp. [2], [14], 711, [1]; IV/2: pp. [2], [12], 618; V: pp. [2], [14], 338; [6], 111, [1]; [6], 186; [6], 250; VI: pp. [14], 840, including one full-page engraved illustration; VII: pp. [2], [6], 792; VIII: pp. [2], [18], 876; IX: pp. [2], [6], 808; X: pp. [2], [26], 824; XI: pp. [2], [14], 860, [2]; XII: pp. [2], [12], 911, [1]; XIII: pp. [2], [10], 860; XIV: pp. [2], [10], 740; all (except vol. VI) including engraved frontispieces. Varying degrees of browning or foxing as usual, upper edges a little dusty, the odd ink mark, I-II: 2 extreme lower outer corners torn, IV/1: light marginal water stain to last few leaves, small repair to 4N3 not affecting reading, VIII: small worm hole to lower blank margin, expanding into worm trail to one gathering; XIII: last verso a little soiled. Modern quarter crushed crimson morocco over cloth boards, raised bands, spine gilt-lettered, corners a little rubbed. Modern bookplate of Writers' Library, London, to front pastedowns. The full 14-volume set of this renowned bibliographical monument to Greek antiquity - a masterpiece of erudition by the German classicist J.A. Fabricius (1668-1736), professor of rhetoric at Hamburg. Originally published between 1705 and 1728, 'Bibliotheca Graeca' is one of his several works of historical bibliography, which reached down to medieval Latin writers. It covers works written between pre-Homeric times and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, including, for major figures like Homer, the tradition of scholia and the criticism of late antiquity. Some of its volumes include previously unpublished essays by Fabricius on sundry topics, e.g., a grammar of Dionysius Thrax. Chapters are organised in a variety of ways: some by subject (e.g., jurisprudence), others by literary or philosophical current (e.g., Peripatetics). The volumes of this set were published between 1714 and 1728. A handsome work, scarce as a full set. Ref: 53673show full image..
Ferris, Iain: Cave Canem: Animals and Roman Society. Stroud, Glos.: Amberley Publishing, 2018. First edition. 8vo., pp. 288 + colour plates. Hardback: black cloth, gilt-lettered to spine. Dust-jacket. Unused, a hint only of shelf-wear: a fine copy. Ref: 53863
Finley, M.I.: The Ancient Economy. London: Chatto & Windus, 1973. First edition. 8vo., pp. 222. Brown cloth, gilt lettering to spine, edges dusted, very good. Dust-jacket, 1.8cm closed tear to bottom edge of front cover, 0.5cm and 0.3cm closed tears to fore-edge of front cover, shelf wear, still good. Ref: 52129
Florus, Lucius Annaeus L. Annaeus Florus. CL. Salmasius, addidit Lucium Ampelium, & cod. M.S. nunquam antehac editum. Lugd. Batav. [Leiden]: Apud Elzeviros, 1638. 12mo. pp. [viii], 290, [ii], [293-] 336, [xvi]. Engraved title, woodcut head- and tailpieces. Light red ink stain to upper outer blank corner of title and first two leaves, few leaves a trifle foxed. Near contemporary full calf, double gilt ruled, gilt fleurons to corners, spine gilt with fleurons and stars, gilt-lettered morocco label, inner edges gilt, a.e.g. Joints a bit cracked, lower with small worm hole. Bookplate of Faulque de Jonchieres to front pastedown, occasional annotations. Handsomely-bound copy of the better edition of the two printed by the Elzevirs in 1638. 'The preference is given to those copies where the two vignettes (one at the head of the dedicatory epistle, the other at that of the text of Florus) are different' (Dibdin II, 10). 'La plus jolie' (Willems 467), with the first headpiece in the shape of a mermaid. This copy belonged to Faulque de Jonqui?res (d.1873), librarian of the Minist?re de la Marine. Dibdin II, 10; Willems 467. Ref: 53175show full image..
Florus, Lucius Annaeus: L. Annaeus Florus. CL. Salmasius, addidit Lucium Ampelium, & cod. M.S. nunquam antehac editum. Lugd. Batav. [Leiden]: Apud Elzeviros, 1638. 12mo., pp. [viii], 336, [xvi]. Engraved title-page, woodcut head-pieces and initials. Occasional pencilled underlining, very tiny scorch hole through pp.261-266 affecting a couple of letters in total. Lovely 19th-century full red morocco binding by J Canap? with raised bands and gilt titles, a.e.g, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers and ribbon bookmark. Bands and upper joint a little rubbed, very good indeed. Monogrammed bookplate to front pastedown, 'Biblioth?que du Docteur Ant. Danyau'. Handsomely-bound copy of the better edition of the two printed by the Elzevirs in 1638. 'The preference is given to those copies where the two vignettes (one at the head of the dedicatory epistle, the other at that of the text of Florus) are different' (Dibdin II, 10). 'La plus jolie' (Willems 467), with the first headpiece in the shape of a mermaid. Dibdin II, 10; Willems 467. Ref: 54724show full image..
Freeman, Charles; Egypt, Greece and Rome. Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean. Oxford University Press, 1996. First edition. 8vo., pp. xvi, 638 + plates. Maps and illustrations. Hardback: black cloth, gilt-lettered to spine, edges dusty otherwise very good. Dust-jacket, a little shelf-worn with creasing to edges and a small patch of discolouration to rear but still good. Ref: 53974
Frontinus, Sextus Julius: (Oudendorp, Frans van, ed.:) Libri Quatuor Strategematicon, cum notis integris Francisci Modii, Godescalci Stewechii, Petri Scriverii, & Samuelis Tennulii. His accedunt, cum P. Scriverii, tum aliorum doctorum ineditae observationes. Curante Francisco Oudendorpio, qui & suas adnotationes, variasque MStorum lec Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: Apud Sam. et Joann. Luchtmans, 1779. 8vo. pp. [lxxviii], 570, [cxxxiv]. Engraved frontispiece, woodcut initials and end-pieces. Sporadic very light spotting, very light toning, closed tear to bottom corner 2L6 not affecting text. Contemporary prize binding with certificate bound in, spine gilt, blind-tooled borders and frame with gilt corner-tools and gilt centrepiece with the arms of Leiden to each board, edges sprinkled red. Spine a bit lifted and creased at tail-end, boards a little bowed and very slightly greyed with a few smudgy marks, ties lost, front paste-down lifting a little at fore-edge. Handwritten prize certificate with four signatures awarded to Daniel van Haltern by the 'Quatuorviri' (Board of Trustees) of the Latin School on 4 March 1782. To front paste-down, 20th-century bookplate with coat of arms of Marie Gr?fin von Der Goltz (1873-1941), wife of Count R?diger von der Goltz (1865-1946), army general during WWI, commander of the German Baltic Sea Division' during the civil war in Finland and prominent coordinator of right-wing veterans' organizations in the Weimar Republic. Her son, Gustav Adolf Karl Joachim R?diger Graf[a] von der Goltz (1894-1976) was a lawyer and Nazi Party member who defended many prominent Nazis in the years before they took power, including Joseph Goebbels in 1931-2. He was a member of the Reichstag until his resignation in 1943, when he defended his cousin Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) and Hans von Dohnanyi (1902-1945) before the Reichskriegsgericht. After 1945 he worked as a lawyer at the D?sseldorf Higher Regional Court. Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 40 ? 103 AD) was a prominent Roman civil engineer, author, soldier and senator of the late 1st century AD. He was a successful general under Domitian, commanding forces in Roman Britain, and on the Rhine and Danube frontiers. This collection of examples of military stratagems from Greek and Roman history edited by Frans van Oudendorp (1696-1761), professor of Eloquence and History at Leiden University from 1740 to 1761. Spoelder 5; Graesse II, 639; Schweiger II, 369; Brunet II, 1409 on the ed. Leyden, 1731: "Cette ?dition est bonne, mais elle a ?t? effac?e par la r?impression faite par les soins de Corn. Oudendorp, qui y a ajout? de nouvelles notes, Lugd.-Batavor., 1779" Ref: 54553show full image..
