PINDARUS. Olympia, Pythia, Nemea, Isthmia; [et alii] Cæterorum octo lyricorum carmina, Alcaei, Sapphus, Stesichori, Ibyci, Anacreontis, Bacchylidis, Simonidis, Alcmanis, nonulla etiam aliorum. Editio II. Græcolatina.
[Geneva], Henri Estienne, 1566.
£ 1,350
32mo, two volumes: 1) pp. 576, a-z8, aa-nn8; 2) pp. 568[468], A-Z8, AA-GG8. Greek and Italic letter, a little Roman. Printer’s device on title page of both volumes, decorated initials. First volume: t-p little soiled, dampstaining to initial five quires, light age yellowing throughout, occasional early ms. underlining, autograph dated 1697 at colophon; second volume: title “Carminum poetarum novem,…” (it starts with Alceus), light occasional age yellowing, damstaining throughout final seven gatherings, early ms. annotation in French concerning an “enigme”. Rebound in modern gilt scarlet morocco, title to spine, marbled pastedowns, gilt inner dentelles and cover fore-edges.
This is the second pocket edition of Pindar’s poems – the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean and Isthmian odes – and other selected works by the Greek poets Alcaeus, Sappho, Stesichorus, Ibycus, Anacreon, Bacchylides, Simonides and Alcman. This edition includes also many other short poems concerning these poets by contemporary and later authors, both Greek and Latin. This work was edited by the Mecenas of letters Ulrich Fugger and commented by Henri Estienne himself, as part of their shared editorial plan to publish all the ancient Greek texts. The first volume of this work includes a dedication from Estienne to the Protestant Reformer, scholar, and erudite Philipp Melanchthon, who had worked on several classic authors, including Pindar. The second volume includes a poem in praise of Markus and Johann Fugger, which is likely to be a sign of recognition of the financial support the bankers provided for the ambitious project.
Adams P1228