Opus Utrumque Homeri Iliados et Odysseae, Diligenti Opera Jacobi Micylli et Joachimi Camerarii recognitum. Porphyrij philosophi Homericarum quaestionum liber Eiusdem de Nympharum antro in Odyssaea opusculum. Cum privilegio Imperatorio et Regio. In Officina Heruagiana [Johann Hervagius] Anno MDXLI [1541]
A VERY RARE POST-INCUNABLE EDITION OF HOMER'S ODYSSEY AND ILIAD, HERE BEING TWO VOLUMES BOUND INTO ONE. THE IMPORTANT JACOB MICYLLUS EDITION WITH THE FULL TEXT OF THE ILIAD AND ODYSSEY WITH COMMENTARY SURROUNDING THE TEXTS.
-------------------
The second edition of Homer printed by Herwagen, but the first edition edited by Micyllus improving the prior 1535 edition. This is a lovely edition with two volumes bound into one, based on the Aldine Press edition but in a larger folio format. It is very scarcely encountered in commerce and we can trace only one other example currently available for sale worldwide, their asking price being just over £6,000.
Martin Crusius' copy of this edition sold at Christie's 29th Nov 1999 lot 60 for £18,400 (GBP), with another copy without such provenance selling at Swann Auction Galleries May 1st 2014 lot 86 for $3,750 (USD).
-------------------
Size: 172 x 248 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[A2-A4, a*2-a*7, a1-L7, 1ff (printer's device); 2a1-c^5, i (printer's device)]
Modern full vellum binding with a red label affixed to the spine between raised bands, reading 'Opus Homeri Ilia-dos et Odysseae.' Boards discoloured but with the spine bright and attractive on the shelf. Joints fine with both boards securely attached. No shelf lean. Top page edge dulled as typical, without any writing to the page edges, but with external visual evidence of bookworm entrance sites.
Lacks title page for the Odyssey but retains the title page for the Iliad. Lacks 6pp of the index at the front of the Odyssey but with the complete Prooemium. The text of the Odyssey and Iliad both collate as complete. The missing title page and 6pp are provided in facsimile printout. The first few leaves are extensively annotated in an early hand written in Greek. Generally very clean throughout the text block though with extensive wormholing throughout including loss to the text in many places.
[Adams H750].
