The Editio Princeps of Plato 1513; One of the Most Important Printings of the Aldine Press

 

Omnia Platonis Opera. Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1513, folios.

THE EDITIO PRINCEPS OF PLATO - ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EDITIONS IN THE HISTORY OF THE BOOK.

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One of the supreme monuments of Western printing and the culmination of Aldus Manutius’ epoch making Greek publishing programme. This is the edition that brought Plato into the heart of the Renaissance. Together with the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499), the editio princeps of Aristotle (1495-98), and the Aldine Virgil (1501), this Plato of 1513 is one of the defining masterpieces of the Aldine Press. If the Aristotle marked the beginning of Greek philosophy in print, the Plato represents its apotheosis, the consummation of Aldus’ lifelong devotion to the recovery, perfection, and dissemination of Greek learning. Indeed, when the University of Illinois acquired a copy in 2024, they remarked that "classical studies exist because of this [edition]", and their acquisition of it sparked an event at the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago which drew over 400 people, including the consul general of Greece.

It is no exaggeration to describe this edition as the textual and intellectual foundation of all later European Platonism. The monumental folio, edited by Marcus Musurus from manuscripts belonging to Cardinal Bessarion and others, became the fountainhead from which the Platonic revival of the sixteenth century flowed. Aldus’ exquisite typography, formatting, and the profound scholarship of Musurus’ recension combine to make this one of the most beautiful and influential Greek books ever printed.

This Plato was also the edition that Erasmus himself had eagerly anticipated; correspondence between him and Aldus records his enthusiasm for the projected Plato and his direct involvement in proofreading earlier Greek works for the press. Indeed, the Aldine edition of Plato had been announced as early as 1497 when Aldus declared his intention to publish it alongside Galen (which didn't arrive until a decade after his death in 1525). The Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) had previously produced a Latin edition of the works of Plato, but the Aldine Plato provided scholars with the canonical Greek text for the first time. The first Ficino edition of Plato in the Latin recently sold for over $1 million USD.

Aldus relied on his brilliant circle of Greek collaborators to prepare the text. Musurus’ edition is described by Nigel Wilson as “one of the finest achievements of Renaissance scholarship, produced from manuscripts in a notably good state of preservation” (From Byzantium to Italy, pp.151).

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RARE. Folio imprints from the Aldine Press are far scarcer than the more familiar octavos, and none carry the intellectual weight of this one. The Plato is very rare in commerce, most are held institutionally: USTC records 54 institutional holdings worldwide. We trace just one copy in the UK retail market in recent memory, sold by Blackwell’s in 2014 for £75,000 to an institutional buyer (~£104,000 adjusted for 2025), while a handsome copy in an early alla greca binding recently realised $381,000 at Sotheby’s New York (25 June 2025, lot 1313). Copies even within a multiple of the price of the present example are unknown on the market.

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Provenance:

With distinguished provenance — the Jortin–Balfour–Sparrow copy.

By repute, according to a later pencil note, from the library of John Jortin (1698–1770), the eminent Anglican scholar, purchased by him in 1740. His Remarks on Ecclesiastical History (1751–73) was described as “the most significant Anglican ecclesiastical history of the eighteenth century” and was admired by Edward Gibbon (DNB). “Jortin was in many ways a late representative of Christian humanism” (ibid.).

Subsequently in the Balfour collection, the Irish aristocratic family with their seat at Townley Hall, County Louth, presumably, but not provably, by descent within the family.

Later in the important rare book collection of John Hanbury Angus Sparrow (1906–1992), with his bookplate. A renowned bibliophile and bibliographer, Sparrow served as President of the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles and authored over fifty books and essays. A close friend of W. B. Yeats, he bequeathed many important manuscripts to the Bodleian Library, including autograph material by Yeats himself. Sold after his death at Christie’s, 22 October 1992, lot 23, where acquired by an important Spanish collection, where it remained until recently.

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Size: 193 x 297 mm (approx., each)

 

Condition: 

[[6], 2^4, a-z8, aa10, bb-hh8, ii4 (-ii4)]; [A-DD8, EE4]

18th century full calf, attractively bound, all boards securely attached, titles in gilt to spines, finely rebacked, some shelf and edge wear, edges coloured red, but overall externally excellent and attractive. Both volumes stand without shelf lean.

Both volumes collate as textually complete for the main text (i.e. of Plato's works), but volume one lacks the first six preliminary leaves including the main title, as well as the final blank (ii4), as often, though retains the 2^4 sectional blank. It retains Diogenes Laertius' Life of Plato; the lacking prelims would contain the general title, Aldus' preface, and index. The second volume is complete including the colophon and Aldine printer's device. Text mildly toned throughout, but generally bright and clean throughout both volumes, light dampstain in gutter of second volume affecting last two quires (i.e. DD-EE4) generally not touching the text, non-intrusive. Some foxing to endpapers, very sporadic thereafter. Old marginalia in places throughout, faded, indicating that the text block of this copy was washed at some point. Bookplates to front pastedowns with some pencil inscriptions to front pastedowns and ffep recto. Small edge repairs to first two leaves of volume one, as well as a fine kozo paper repair through the text to the first leaf not losing sense of text r/v - see 7-9 lines down; it is not particularly intrusive. Text blocks slightly trimmed but generally retaining generous margins throughout, never catching signatures, etc. 

Overall, a very nice attractive copy of this important and rare first edition of Plato in the original Greek.

 

[USTC 849832; OCLC 8811075; PMM 27; Adams P1436; Renouard, Alde, 62:4 (“Rare et précieuse”)].