LUCIEN DE SAMOSATE Luciani dialogi et alia multa opera… [avec les Å“uvres des deux Philostrate et de Xallistratus sophiste, graece].

Renouard, 95:4 ; Adams, L-1604 ; Ahmanson-Murphy, 213.

Second , corrected, Aldine edition of the works of Lucian of Samosata.

Edited and prefaced by Gian Francesco d’Asola, Andrea Torresano’s last born son, this beautiful book includes for the third time the writings of the famous rhetoric of the IInd century. It includes notably the celebrated satirical Dialogues, by which centuries later  Giacomo Leopardi would still be inspired.

The first editon was published in FLorence in 1496, the second, published by Aldus, was slightly eronneaous. This third edition, prepared after Aldus’ own notes on a copy of the 1503 edition, is largely corrected and purer than the editio princeps from 1496. This third edition became the model on which all later 16th century are based.

The book also contains important texts (in second edition) of Philostratus de Lemnos (II-IIIe century), of his grand-son bearing the same name (IIIrd century), and of the Greek sophist and rhetoric Callistratus (IIIrd-IVth siècle). All these works, with the exception of Heroica and Sophistarum of the first Philostratus –, under the title Imagines (Philostratus) and Descriptiones (Callistratus) are works of ekphraseis: a description of real or imaginary paintings, of whioch the style reflect the esthetic conceptions of the rhetorics of their time.

Some occasional small stains, leaf ‘L1’ remargined at an early time.

Nice copy preserved in an elegant Italian binding of the early 18th century.