Descrizione

With woodcut printer's mark on title, elaborate woodcut initials. Printed in Italics. 16 unn. leaves (incl. 1 blank), 304 pp. 8vo. Contemporary green stained limp vellum, red edges (lower part of t.p. cut out and repaired). Name on title, blind library stamp on first and last leaves. From the collection of Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (lot 7011 in his sale, 1882). Cologne, In officina Birckmannica, 1582. Early edition of the Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' "Historiae Philippicae", the only version in which this text exists. The original text, in forty-four books, was a general history of the world concentrating on the Macedonian Empire founded by Philip II and the Hellenistic kingdoms. It began with Ninus, the founder of Nineveh, and ended about A.D. 9. Apart from the Epitome by Justinus (3rd century), we possess summaries of the forty-four books, and fragments in other writings. It is still considered, even in this abridged state, an important authority for ancient history, including ethnographical and geographical digressions. This edition was prepared by Franciscus Modius from Bruges (1536-1597). - VD 16 T 2065; cf. Graesse III, 512 (only 1586 ed.); not in Adams, BN or BL. CLASSICS ; HISTORY ;