Author: POSSELIUS,J.
Title: Calligraphia oratoria linguae graecae, ad proprietatem elegantiam et copiam graeci sermonis parandam utillissima. A Ioanne Posselio concinnata, nun denuo ab eodem recognita, atque amplius tertia parte aucta. Accesserunt huic postremae editioni cum Gallica praecipuorum verborum gemina interpretatione, frequentiores necnon copiosae ac pernecessariae Graeci sermonis formulae, omnia bono ordine & apposite digesta. Cum indice multo, quam antea fuit, locupletiore.
Description: Paris (Parisiis), Apud Ioan. Libert, 1627. (Colophon at the end: Parisiis, Ex typographia Ioann. Libert, 1626). 8vo. (XVI),835,(1 blank),(125 index),(1 blank) p. Limp vellum 17 cm (Ref: Répertoir chronologique des éditions de textes littéraires, Suppl. 1585-1643, no. 21077) (Details: Short title in ink on the back. Woodcut ornament on the title) (Condition: Binding a bit soiled. All four ties gone. Front endpapers gone. Name on the title erased, resulting in some superficial damage. Edges of title thumbed; paper age-toned. Some foxing) (Note: There is some disagreement about the author of this title. There are two men with the name Johannes Posselius, father and son, Posselius the Elder, 1528-1591, and Posselius the Younger, 1565-1623. Both were Greek scholars and professor of Greek language and linguistics at the University of Rostock, the father from the 50th of the 16th century, the son succeeded his father in 1591. Johannes Posselius the Elder (in German Johann Possell) published a 'Syntaxis graeca' (1565), which saw many reissues, and an edition of Pindar's 'Olympica' (Rostock 1586). The son published 'Hesiodi opera omnia' (Frankfurt 1601) and 'Hesiodus Analyticus' (Rostock 1618). VD17 attributes this 'Calligraphia' to Possell the Younger. VD16 to the Elder. A quick glance in KVK shows that there is some disagreement among libraries. Most libraries choose the Elder, among which the British Library, some the Younger, among which Cambridge University (Special Collections). Now, the 'Calligraphia' was first published in 1585, too early for the Younger, who was then 20 years old. On the title page of the second edition of 1590 we read that the same Possell augmented his edition with one third. The author tells us furthermore in the introductory 'Candido Lectori' of the first edition of 1585 (p. 3* verso) that he had been busy quite some time compiling and arranging material for this book, and for the actual writing. (studium, quod aliquotiam annis in colligendo, disponendo, & toties describendo hoc libro posui) He also tells that the 'Calligraphia' is a supplement to his commendable 'Syntaxis Graeca'. So, the real author must be the Elder. In the 'Calligraphia', Posselius the Elder goes on, he offers material that found no place in the 'Syntaxis Graeca', for instance 'omnes Graecae loquendi modi, ab uno aliquo verbo descendentes'. In the 'Calligraphia' is room for 'pleniorem constructionem, & varias loquendi formas'. From these examples, found in 90 authors, the students can learn easily the 'proprietas', 'venustas' and 'copia dicendi'. (Ibidem p. 4* recto) The order of the lemmata treated is rather peculiar, Posselius distributed his material under Latin headings alphabetically. For instance under the heading 'Litteras dare ad aliquem, Scribere' he offers a host of Greek synonyms and applications of 'grammata graphein', to send, open, seal, sign, read, accept a letter, to write quickly etc., accompanied by the name of the author and a Latin translation. An extensive Greek and Latin index at the end makes the subject matter easily accessible. The work was a great success. Reissues of the 1585 edition were published in 1590, 1594, 1600, 1602, 1605, 1607, 1608, 1609, 1620, 1615, 1623, 1626, 1627, 1636 and 1692. This edition of 1627 is rare, KVK yields not one copy) (Collation: â8, A-3O8 (leaf 3G2 verso and 3O8 verso blank)) (Photographs on request)

Keywords: (Oude Druk) (Rare Books) Greek linguistics antike altertum antiquity griechische Sprachewissenschaft


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