LUCAN, M. Anneus

£1,950 · Offered by Sokol Books

The beautifully printed first Estienne edition of Lucan's Pharsalia, his epic poem on the Civil War between Pompey and Caesar, printed in the exceptional Garamond italic, which was then still innovative, having first appeared only in 1543. Claude Garamond's italic type was designed for Robert Estienne in imitation of the Aldine italic, which it surpassed in beauty and readability. Although Robert Estienne was made Royal printer in Greek in 1539 he continued to produce many pocket editions of the Latin classics of this kind and they came to form the backbone of his printing practice. The actual texts of the Latin classics, on the other hand, were now much more prominent in his lists. It was during this period (1539 -1550) that he published two complete sets of the works of Cicero, as well as a considerable number of separate works. The years 1544-5 produced Juvenal and Persius, Lucan and Horace in the same pocket form.. Elizabeth Armstrong. Robert Estienne, Royal Printer. Lucan's account of the Civil Wars between Caesar and Pompey was considered in the Middle Ages superior to Virgil (a view held later by Shelley and Southey). The poem was begun around 61 AD and several books were in circulation before the Emperor Nero and Lucan had a bitter falling out. Lucan continued to work on the epic, despite Nero's prohibition against any publication of Lucan's poetry, and it was left unfinished when Lucan was compelled to commit suicide as part of the Pisonian conspiracy in 65 AD. A tot

• Binding: Hardcover

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