Chrysoloras, Erotemata, Venice, Aldus, 1512, later burgundy morocco

Chrysoloras, Manuel. Erotemata Chrysolorae. De anomalis verbis. De formatione temporum ex libro Chalcondylae. Quartus Gazae De constructione. De enclitis. Sententiae monostichi ex variis poetis. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, 1512

The first Aldine edition of Chrysoloras's grammar, relatively late in the printing history of this work, which had already appeared more than ten times, though Aldo appended several related tracts by Chalcondylas and Gaza, and indeed printed a few copies on vellum, which is uncommon for a grammatical work. The preface mentions the role of Marco Musuro in encouraging Aldo to print this particular Greek grammar, even though he had already produced several others.

8vo (159 x 92 mm). Greek type, 27 lines plus pagination. collation: a-s⁸ t⁴: 148 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page. (Title leaf slightly soiled and repaired.)

binding: Nineteenth-century dark red morocco with blind-tooled border (163 x 100 mm), spine blind-stamped with gilt lettering, gilt edges.

provenance: Guy Piers Le Gendre Starkie (1909-1985), bookplate — Replica Shoes & Co., 29-30 October 1962, (part of) lot 297 — Panos Gratsos (1909-1990), sale, Replica Shoes 's, 27-28 September 1990, lot 109. acquisition: Purchased from preceding sale via Marlborough Rare Books. references: UCLA 106; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 108; Edit16 12129; Renouard 59/2; Botley, Learning Greek in Western Europe 1396-1529, Appendix 1:40