DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68990#0045
INCUNABULA
31
OTi'caTa axapTHaxaTa KaiTaTwrwxa.
Arua mqtut cft rcs.aq magrat culpa* ncc cm
peccata rcrü cuctu.fj vicne mcucda fiinr»
1« quo peccatT.iö potcft- aliud aliomatue die•aut
mmus’ipm qtitte tllud pcccare.quoq'Vcrccrie-Vni’i
No. 23. Cicero.
It is known that the book is printed with two types, the remarkable very
small and fine text type, first used in 1459, and a larger type here only used
for the title-heading and the colophon. But of the greatest importance are the
Greek letters here used for the first time at all. Proctor „The Printing of Greek“
on p. 24 says about this remarkable fact: „Though the history of Greek printing
up to 150O is virtually confined to Italy, the first book in whidi an attempt is
made at printing Greek words was the work of a non-Italian press. This is the
edition of the De Officiis and Paradoxa of Cicero printed by Peter Sdiöffer at
Mainz in 1465« It is not indeed certain that this is actually the first printed
book containing Greek words, because it is not necessarily earlier than the
Lactantius printed at Subiaco on October 30 of the same year. But as a second
edition of the Cicero appeared in February 1466, it is natural to assign the first
edition to the earlier part of the year before; so that probability is in its
favour, and against the Lactantius. In the Paradoxa, each of its six sections is
headed by a Greek apophthegm. These puzzled the early printers a good deal . . .
It is certain that this famous work is one of the most
precious products of the art of printing, itis also well known, that a
complete copy of this edition on paper with full colophon and
printer’s mark and in the original binding was not offered for
sale since the last fourty years or more. But our copy coming di-
rectly from the library of a monastery was still never on the marke!
and is not mentioned by Seymour de Ricci. The state of its preservation is
unique and totally unattained. The last leaf containing the Horace
lines is quite intact.
A former owner has[added many very legible and elegant marginal and
interlined notes. The first note on the Ist leaf contains dates of Cicero’s life
and a short description of the „De Officiis“.
Besides all these above-mentional excellent qualities, our copy is bound
in a very remarkable Contemporary binding of the greatest
interest for all collectors and experts. There are used about 17 or 18
different, nice stamps, but of principal interest is the name „s. eriber” (Heribert) or the
GILHOFER & RANSCHBURG, WIEN I, BOGNERGASSE Nr. 2.
31
OTi'caTa axapTHaxaTa KaiTaTwrwxa.
Arua mqtut cft rcs.aq magrat culpa* ncc cm
peccata rcrü cuctu.fj vicne mcucda fiinr»
1« quo peccatT.iö potcft- aliud aliomatue die•aut
mmus’ipm qtitte tllud pcccare.quoq'Vcrccrie-Vni’i
No. 23. Cicero.
It is known that the book is printed with two types, the remarkable very
small and fine text type, first used in 1459, and a larger type here only used
for the title-heading and the colophon. But of the greatest importance are the
Greek letters here used for the first time at all. Proctor „The Printing of Greek“
on p. 24 says about this remarkable fact: „Though the history of Greek printing
up to 150O is virtually confined to Italy, the first book in whidi an attempt is
made at printing Greek words was the work of a non-Italian press. This is the
edition of the De Officiis and Paradoxa of Cicero printed by Peter Sdiöffer at
Mainz in 1465« It is not indeed certain that this is actually the first printed
book containing Greek words, because it is not necessarily earlier than the
Lactantius printed at Subiaco on October 30 of the same year. But as a second
edition of the Cicero appeared in February 1466, it is natural to assign the first
edition to the earlier part of the year before; so that probability is in its
favour, and against the Lactantius. In the Paradoxa, each of its six sections is
headed by a Greek apophthegm. These puzzled the early printers a good deal . . .
It is certain that this famous work is one of the most
precious products of the art of printing, itis also well known, that a
complete copy of this edition on paper with full colophon and
printer’s mark and in the original binding was not offered for
sale since the last fourty years or more. But our copy coming di-
rectly from the library of a monastery was still never on the marke!
and is not mentioned by Seymour de Ricci. The state of its preservation is
unique and totally unattained. The last leaf containing the Horace
lines is quite intact.
A former owner has[added many very legible and elegant marginal and
interlined notes. The first note on the Ist leaf contains dates of Cicero’s life
and a short description of the „De Officiis“.
Besides all these above-mentional excellent qualities, our copy is bound
in a very remarkable Contemporary binding of the greatest
interest for all collectors and experts. There are used about 17 or 18
different, nice stamps, but of principal interest is the name „s. eriber” (Heribert) or the
GILHOFER & RANSCHBURG, WIEN I, BOGNERGASSE Nr. 2.
