Appian's Historia Romana

Appian's Historia Romana
Erhard Ratdolt, 1477
APPIANUS (c.95-165). Historia Romana and De bellis civilibus. Translated by Petrus Candidus Decembrius. Venice: Bernhard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt, and Peter Löslein, 1477.

First complete edition of Appian’s Roman History, the Stirling Maxwell copy. According to Redgrave, Ratdolt’s biographer, “to my mind there are few printed books of any age which can be compared with the Appian of 1477, with its splendid black ink, its vellum-like paper, and the finished excellence of its typography.” Composed in Greek, Appian’s history originally comprised 24 books on the history of Rome up to the reign of Vespasian, but only about half the work survived to the age of print. Pier Candido Decembrio, his humanist translator, divided the extant books into two parts: Historia Romana, on the early history of Rome, and De bellis civilis—a vital source for the restless and violent years preceding the dissolution of the Roman republic. This is one of Ratdolt's earliest Venetian imprints, following only Regiomontanus's Calendarium, and contains the first use of both fine woodcut border pieces. Part II only first appeared from the press of Vindelinus de Spira in 1472. H 1307* [II, I]; GW 2290; BMC V 244; BSB-Ink A-651; Bod-inc A-363; Essling 221; IGI 763; Goff A-928; ISTC ia00928000.

Two parts in one volume, royal half-sheet quarto (253 x 186mm). 344 leaves. One full-page woodcut border and one partial woodcut border, large and small woodcut initials with vine pattern (portion of initial blank repaired, losing part of a manuscript inscription, light spotting and toning, some very light dampstains). Brown morocco gilt by Leighton with stamped seals of Stirling Maxwell, Maxwell seal on inner board, gilt edges (worn at extremities). Provenance: marginalia (some trimmed), partially cropped early ownership inscription on flyleaf, and faint erased inscription on first text leaf – Johann Christoph Wolffskeel (inscription and initials, fl. c.1550) – Munich Royal Library (stamps, including duplicate mark) – Sir William Stirling Maxwell (1818-1878; bookplate and binding) – acquired from Lathrop C. Harper, Inc, New York, 12 July 1957.