VELLEIUS PATERCULUS. C. Velleii Paterculi Quae supersunt ex Historiae Romanae voluminibus duobus, cum integris animadversionibus doctorum, curante Davide Ruhnkenio. Leiden (Lugduni Batavorum), Apud Samuel et Joann. Luchtmans, Academiae Typographos, 1779. 8vo. 2 volumes in 1: (II, frontispiece),(XXXII),CXXII,1262 (recte 1260),(99 index) p. Calf 21 cm (Ref: STCN ppn 241048281; Schweiger 2,1130: a long note, from which :'Sehr wichtige Ausgabe'; 'an offenbar corrupten Stellen nahm er Emendationen, fremde und eigene, auf'. 'Die Notae des Rhenanus und Burer liess er unverstümmelt unter dem Texte abdrücken und fügte ihnen seine Anmerkungen ... neue Emendationen .. hinzu'. 'Der zweite Theil enthält den vollständigen Apparat der Burmannischen Ausgabe'; Dibdin 2, 525: 'a very excellent edition'; The text is 'amended in many passages by the judgement of Ruhnkenius, and not according to the fanciful suggestions of preceeding editors'; Brunet 4,430: 'Très bonne édition'; Ebert 23482: 'Diese Ausgabe ist ein whares Muster krit. Tacts und grammat. Gelehrsamkeit, und bis jetzt die beste'. J. Bernays, 'Geschichte der klassischen Philologie, Hildesheim, 2008, p. 144: 'jetzt (ca. 1880) noch ausgezeichnet'; Spoelder p. 677, Tiel 1) (Details: Prize copy, including the manuscript prize dated 3rd july 1801 for Romboldus Brenkman Pitlo. Back gilt elaborately, and with 5 raised bands. Red morocco shield in the second compartment. Other compartments filled with gilt floral motives. Borders of the boards also ruled gilt with floral motives, and floral corner pieces. Gilt coat of arms of Tiel on both boards. Edges dyed red.The frontispiece designed by H. van der My and executed by F. v. Bleyswyk, depicting Rome, personified by an emperor, as a stronghold against chaos, under the protection of the Gods; in the middle stands the wise goddess Athena; she holds in her right hand the Palladion; Athena is the 'aquilifer' (Eagle-bearer) of Rome, for in her left hand she holds the 'Aquila', the standard of the Roman army; with a long chain she holds the destructive forces of civil war and chaos under control) (Condition: Corners slightly bumped. Head of spine very slightly damaged. All 4 ties gone) (Note: The work of the Roman historian Velleius Paterculus, ca. 19 BC - after 30 AD, is a valuable source for the reigns of the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. Paterculus, who served 'under Tiberius in many of his most important campains, seems to have conceived an unbounded admiration for him and the whole imperial family, in whose men he could see nothing but sublime virtues, while the ennemies were compact of every possible vice' (H.J. Rose, 'A handbook of Latin literature, London, 1967, p. 355). Velleius' adulatory type of history was however condemned by the later historian Tacitus, who ignores him. The 'Historiae Romanae', consists of 2 books. The beginning of the first, from the founding of Rome to the battle of Pydna in 168 BC, in which the Romans defeated the Macedonian kingdom, is lost. What remains of book one ends with the fall of Carthago in 146 B.C. Book 2 is of greater importance. 'Book 2, covering the period 146 BC to AD 30, becomes more detailed as it approaches the author's own day, doubtless because, as he tells us, he projected a fuller history from the Civil War onwards.' (OCD 2nd edition p. 1111/12). His style is less polished, but we are to remember that he was more a soldier than an scholar. § Velleius Paterculus was in good hands with the Dutch scholar of German origin David Ruhnken, or Ruhnkenius, 1723-1798. David Ruhnken was born in Pommern, and was sent by his parents in 1737 to the Friedrichscollegium in Königsberg, where he read Latin authors together with his friend Immanuel Kant. To finish his studies he went in 1744 to Leiden, to study Greek under Tiberius Hemsterhuis, whom he admired. He later told his biographer Wyttenbach that that he found in his teacher the combined gems of Leiden classical scholarship, Scaliger and Salmasius, in one person. Hemsterhuis wanted to create a worthy successor, and appointed him in 1757 to assist him as Reader in Greek. In 1761 Ruhnken succeeded the Latin chair vacated by Oudendorp. He became one of the leading scholars of his days. 'Die Führerstellung der Philologie erbte (...) von Hemsterhuys der Pommer David Ruhnken, der ganz zum Holländer ward und die vornehme und behäbige Würde eines Princeps criticorum zu wahren wusste. Als solchem hat ihm Fr.A. Wolf die Prolegomena gewidmet. (...) Musterhaftes Latein galt ihm soviel wie Wissenschaft. Aber als Lehrer muss er glänzend gewesen sein. (...) Alles was Ruhnken veröffentlicht hat, ist in seinen Grenzen tadellos'. (U. von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, Geschichte der Philologie, Lpz./Bln. 1921, p. 39/40) § The edition of 1779 begins with a dedication, and continues with the dedications and prefaces of previous editions, from the edition of Beatus Rhenanus of 1520 till that of Burmannus of 1719. Then follow 60 p. 'Annales Velleiani, seu vita Velleii Paterculi pro temporum ordine disposita ab H. Dodwello'. The rest of the volume is filled with the text and commentary of Ruhnkenius. Volume 2, beginning with page 500, contains the 'Variorum interpretum Notae'. (On Ruhnken: ADB 29, 615/24; and of course the dissertation of E. Hulshoff Pol, 'Studia Ruhnkeniana', Leiden 1953) (Provenance: Prize for Romboldus Brenkman Pitlo, on the occasion of his promotion to 'supremam Mediae Classis ordinem' as the best pupil of his year (primus). It is dated the 3rd of July 1801, and signed by the curators of the Gymnasium of Tiel, W. de Roo, G.J. Rink, P. Ten Bosch and J. Dijkmeester, and by 'Me Gymnasii Rectorem J. Posthuma'. A report of the prize ceremony can be found in 'Maandelijkse uittreksels, of Boekzael der geleerde waerelt', 1801, p. 353/4: 'Thiel. Na dat op den 3den July het gewoone Zomerexamen gehouden was, zyn op den eersten September eenige wakkere en veelbelovende jongelingen naar hoogere Classen bevorderd, en met aanzienlyke eerpryzen beschonken. De Rector J. Posthuma opende deze plechtigheid met eene Redenvoering 'over den staat der Letterkunde, vooral in de jongstafgelopen Eeuw in vergelyking met dezelve in de twee nog vroegere Eeuwen'. P.C. Stoltz, welke naar de hoogste Classe der Rectors School bevorderd wierd, hield hierop eene korte Redevoering over de spreuk by Vergilius 'nulla salus bello'; hierop hebben R. Brenkman Pitlo, Z.T. de Jong en F.H. Spiering, benevens J. de Roo en J. Post; als ook C.J.A. Spiering en T.G. van Lith de Jeude, hunne dankzeggingen voor de aanzienlyke eerpryzen, welke zy ontfingen, met veel bevalligheid afgelegd'. § Remmet (Rombout, Romboldus) Brenkman Pitlo (1786-1861) was a prominent citizen in Tiel: he was a lawyer, a judge and a member of the city council. De Opregte Haarlemsche Courant of 30-10-1821 announces his marriage on the 25th of October with L.C. van Luttervelt in Tiel) (Collation: pi1, +2-+8, *-7*8, 8*6 (minus blank leaf 8*6); A-2H8, 2I8 (chi1, the title of the second volume, after 2I1), 2K-4Q8; between 2F and 2G the pagination jumps from 464 to 467, the catchword connect the gatherings correctly)) (Photographs on request)
Book number: 130368 Euro 250.00

Keywords: (Oude Druk), (Rare Books), Augustus, Dutch imprints, Latin literature, Prize copy, Prize copy Tiel, Roman history, Tiberius, Velleius Paterculus, antike altertum antiquity, classical philology, römische Geschichte, römische Literatur