HYGINUS

£16,500 · Offered by Sokol Books

Handsome and splendidly illustrated copy of the third edition of Hyginus Poeticon Astronomicon, in a fine contemporary Italian binding. In particular, the same small circular tools and elegant knotwork centrepieces appear on bindings made in Venice between the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century (see: De Marinis I, n. 370 and II, n. 1716). Another interesting connection between this copy and Venice is represented by the two ms. notes at the very end: the two operas quoted were written and first presented in this city. Interestingly, the first two verses read: pupille amate / vezzose stelle , which translates into 'beloved eyes / charming stars ; it is possible that the writer was inspired to copy these words by the astronomical topic of this book. The Poeticon Astronomicon is an extremely fascinating combination of a manual of astronomy and a book on Roman and Greek mythology. In the preface, Hyginus states that he wants to explore constellations and planets more deeply than his predecessor Aratus. The first book describes the celestial sphere and its circles, the second tells the myths connected to 42 constellations, 5 planets and the milky way, the third presents the shapes of each constellation and the fourth is concerned with their position and connections with the zodiac signs. Identified with the Roman historian Gaius Julius Hyginus (1st century BC) during the Reinassance, the author follows Ptolemy's Almagest (II century BC) so closely listing stars in th

• Binding: Hardcover

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