Yale Center for British Art

Creator:

Appianus, of Alexandria

Title:

[Historia Romana].

Alternate Title(s):

Caption to preface, v. 1, leaf a2r: P. Candidi in libros Appiani sophist[ae] Alexandrini ad Nicolaum quintu[m] summu[m] pontificem pr[ae]fatio incipit felicissime

Published / Created:

Impressum est hoc opus Venetijs : Per Bernardu[m] Pictorem & Erhardum Ratdolt de Augusta una cum Petro Loslein de Langencen correctore ac socio, M.CCCC.LXXVII [1477]

Physical Description:

2 volumes ([264], [424] pages) ; 29 cm (4to)

Holdings:

Rare Books and Manuscripts
Leaf Collection no. 0199
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

Copyright Status:

Classification:

Books

Notes:

BEIN Zi +4367: For fuller description see collation leaf in volume. First leaf of each volume blank, that of v. 2 wanting. Bound in fairly old stamped leather. Manuscript notes: on fol. 2a of v. 1: "Simonis [surname illegible] sum"; on fol. 1a of v. 1: "Ex Libris Johannis Baptistæ Serrarij An[n]o [15]63"; inside front cover "WIM [i.e., William Inglis Morse] 1946."

Title from Incunabula short title catalogue, Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke and other sources.

Translated from Greek by Pier Candido Decembrio.

Imprint from colophon, v. 1 and 2, where the words "Laus Deo" precede the date.

"Pars I comprises the Proemium Appiani, Punica, Syriaca, Parthica (Pseudo-Appianus) and Mithridatica. Pars II comprises the five books of De bellis civilibus, Illyrica and Celticorum epitomen"--Incunabula short title catalogue, citing CIBN.

Preface of v. 1 addressed to Pope Nicholas V, who commissioned the translation; v. 2 was completed after his death, and the preface is addressed to Alfonso V, King of Aragon.

Collation: folio: pt. 1. a-i¹⁰ k-n⁸ o¹⁰ [$5(-klmn5) signed]; 132 leaves, unnumbered (leaves a1, c2r, o10 blank) -- pt. 2. a-c¹⁰ d¹² e-x¹⁰ [$5(+d6) signed]; 212 leaves, unnumbered (a1, x10v blank).

With two woodcut borders (v. 1, leaf a2r, 4-sided; v. 2, leaf a2r, 3-sided), and 9-line (48 x 43 mm) and 5-line (26 x 24 mm) initials, all with white-vine interlacing. Borders are printed in black in some copies, in red in others. In Redgrave's lists of borders and initial sets (pages 26-27), borders are no. 2-3 and initials are set 2 (A C P R, C D I P S) and set 3 (L, 4 designs). See also Hind, Arthur. An introduction to a history of woodcut. London, 1935, v. 2, pages 459-462.

Roman type (Proctor 4367-4368); 32 and 33 lines (176 x 110 mm; with marginalia 176 x 150 mm). Printed marginalia. Type (British Museum catalog): 109 R.

Incunabula short title catalogue, ia00928000

Catalogue of books printed in the XVth century now in the British Museum, V, page 244 (IB. 20486, IB. 20487)

Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke, 2290

Goff, F.R. Incunabula in American libraries, A-928

Hain, L. Repertorium bibliographicum, 1307*

Sander, M. Livre à figures italien depuis 1467 jusqu'à 1530, 482

BAC Leaf Collection no. 0199: Imperfect: v. 1 leaves a2 (incipit) and a3, and v. 2 leaf a4 only. The incipit leaf with full woodcut border printed in black. From a collection of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century printed leaves compiled by Frederick Werther, with his enumeration stamped in ink.

Contents:

Volume 1. P. Candidii in libros Appiani sophist[a]e Alexandrini ad Nicolaum quintu[m] summu[m] pr[a]efatio incipit felicissime -- Appiani sophist[a]e Alexandrini Roman[a]e histori[a]e prooemium foeliciter incipit -- Appiani Alexandrini sophist[a]e Romanorum liber incipit qui Libycus inscribitur -- Appiani Alexandrini sophist[a]e Romanorum liber incicpit qui Syrius inscribit[ur] / traductio P. Candidi -- Appiani Alexandrini sophist[a]e Romanoru[m] liber explicit, qui Syrius inscribitur. Incipit eiusdem Parthicus felicissime / traductio P. Candidi -- Appiani Alexandrini sophist[a]e Romaoru[m] liber incipit qui Mithidaticus inscribitur / traductio P. Candidi.

Subject Terms:

Rome -- History -- Early works to 1800. | Rome -- History, Military -- Early works to 1800. | Rome -- Colonies -- History -- Early works to 1800. | Rome -- History -- Civil War, 49–45 B.C. -- Early works to 1800. | Rome -- History -- Civil War, 43–31 B.C. -- Early works to 1800. | Rome -- History -- Civil War, 68–69 -- Early works to 1800. | Incunabula -- Specimens. | Johannis Baptistæ Serrarij -- Ownership. | Simonis -- Autograph. | Morse, William Inglis, b. 1874 -- Ms. notes. | Werther, Frederick, 1881– -- Ownership. | Incunabula in Yale Library.

Form/Genre:

Woodcuts. | Incunabula. | Fragments (object portions)

Contributors:

Container of (expression): Appianus, of Alexandria. De bellis civilibus. Latin (Decembrio) | Container of (expression): Appianus, of Alexandria. Libyca. Latin (Decembrio) | Container of (expression): Appianus, of Alexandria. Syriaca. Latin (Decembrio) | Container of (expression): Appianus, of Alexandria. Mithridatica. Latin (Decembrio) | Container of (expression): Appianus, of Alexandria. Illyrike. Latin (Decembrio) | Decembrio, Pier Candido, 1399–1477, translator. | Maler, Bernhard, active 1476–1478, printer. | Ratdolt, Erhard, 1447?-1527 or 1528, printer. | Löslein, Peter, active 1476–approximately 1487, printer. | Nicholas V, Pope, 1397–1455, dedicatee. | Alfonso V, King of Aragon, 1396–1458, dedicatee.