Aurelius Victor, Sextus

De viris illustribus urbis Romae

1492

1492

H 2140*; BMC IV 96; Goff A1391; ISTC ia01391000;

DeBeer (Special Collections) Ib/ 1492/ P

Rome: Stephan Plannck, 26 January 1492

Green morocco with gilt lozenge in middle of both covers. Gilt tooling around the edge of covers. One portion of front cover damaged. Spine title reads: C.Plini/ II/ Epistoi
Bound with: Plinius Caecilius Secundus, Gaius, the younger. [Epistolae]. Rome: Eucharius Silber, 1490 (See no. 30)

First page of text proper with manuscript leaf opposite, binding, colophon, label on front endpaper depicting Fels bequest.

The first book containing Stephan Plannck or Plancks name was the Roman Missal finished on 5 March 1482 (Hain *11377), although he was printing a few years prior to this (See BMC III, p.80). Plannck became a leading printer in Rome, and had, in1493, the distinction of printing the first printed European description of the people and places in America by Columbus.

The authenticity of authorship of De Viribus Illustribus is often questioned. It has often been attributed to Pliny the Younger, but generally to Aurelius Victor, especially from the sixteenth century onwards. Three other small historical works on the lives of illustrious Romans have been attributed to Sextus Aurelius Victor: (1) Origo Genlis Romanae, (2) De Caesaribus, and (3) De Vita et Moribus Imperatorum Romanorum exccrpta ex Libris Sex. Aur. Victoris. They are generally published together under the name Historia Romana. This particular edition is edited by Angelus Tiphernas.

Paper. [2], [18] leaves; 210 x 140 mm (quarto).
Gothic type. Prelim. leaf in manuscript.
F.1a 'Angelus Tiphernas Alexandro Iustino'.
Colophon: f.18a: 'Caij Plinij Secundi Veronensis Liber Illustriu virorum Finit foeliciter. Impressus Rome per Stephanum Planck. Anno 1492. die. xxvi. Ianuarii.'
First initial decoration wanting; some pages loose.
Contemporary annotations in margin.

1. Willi Fels, 1946.
2. Otago University Library