Author: Byzantinus, Stephanus
Title: Classics, Old Greek, 1694 | Gentilia per epitomen, antehac De urbibus inscripta [...] Accedunt collectae ab Jacobo Gronovio variae lectiones [...] Leiden, Fredericus Haaring, 1694 [With:] Variae lectiones in Stephano [...] ab Jacobo Gronovio [...] Leiden, Fredericus Haaring, 1694.
Description: Parchment ‘prijsband’ (price binding; a book that was awarded to students who conducted outstanding performances), prize dedication not in possession. Ribbed spine, gold tooling on front, back and spine, 2 (of 4) closing ribbons. Some smudges on the front of the binding. 330 x 215 mm, 2º: a#4 b-c#2 d1 A-5D#4 5E-5F#2 #24G-4I#2 (-#24I, blanco?) 6A-6D#2, #3A-I#2 #4A-B#2 (#4B2+chi1), [18] 786 [16], [8] 27 [1], 9 [1] pp. Two title pages in black and red with engraved printer’s mark “Intelligentibus”, beautiful decorated initials in woodcut printing with fire in the tower. Ex Libris (in pen): F.H.E. Wolf, Ultrajecti 1872. Beautiful copy (only last empty page with a tear).The ‘Gentilia’ (‘Ethnika’ in Greek) is an extensive geographical dictionary, composed by Stephanus Byzantinus, a linguist that lived in the first half of the sixth century in Constantinopel. This is his only known work. This work consists of just fragments, because this 800 paged book is just an epitome, an excerpt of the original book, that was probably made by Hermolaus, who lived a century after Stephanus.The dictionary, that was titled in other editions ‘De urbibus inscripta’ (inscriptions on cities) – in this edition is the title at the top of the pages ‘De urbibus et populis’ (about cities and people) - , gives us explanations of geographical and ethnographical names from antiquity with their derivations. He gives these explanations using religious and mythological particularities.Our copy is one of the second editions (first edition in 1688 with D. van Gaesbeeck at Leiden) that was provided by Abraham van Berkel (1639 – 1686), rector of the Latin School at Delft. Van Berkel used a big part of his life to work on this parallel edition with the Greek and Latin text in two columns next to each other and under these texts in a smaller letter extensive footnotes. He didn’t, however, see the end result, because he died two years before the publication.The dictionary is followed by a study by the Leiden scholar Jacobus Gronovius (1645 – 1716), who collected some readings about one of the handwritings of the ‘Gentilia’, de codex Perusinus, and added his commentary. This part has its own pagination and title page and was dedicated to the Leiden rector magnificus Carolus Drelincourt.Tekst in Grieks en Latijn - Prijsband Amsterdam - zeldzaam - voor 1700 gedrukt - vuurtoren vignet - Gronovius - Abraham van Berkel - Latijnse school - Haaring Drukker Frederik Haaring werkte in Leiden van 1688-1712.

Keywords: Early printings|Greek|Latin|Literature & Philosophy|Rare|Special bindings