STATIUS, Publius Papinius.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Opera. First Aldine edition of Statius' collected works. An early example of Aldus's innovative portable octavo format, which was introduced only the previous year, this edition also testifies to the outstanding success of the series, featuring one of Aldus's earliest warnings against counterfeiters.The warning appears in the colophon (bound at the end of the Thebaid) and reads: "Ne quis hoc impune queat imprimere. CAUTUM EST", meaning "No one is allowed to reprint this without penalty: BEWARE". In 1501, Aldus had received a patent for his italic type; his pocket Horace (1501) and Martial (1501) contain warnings reminding readers of his copyright over the type. Aldus's pocket books were sought after throughout Europe, and, despite these precautions, counterfeit editions soon appeared, especially in Florence and Lyon. Following Aldus's repeated complaints, in November 1502 the senate of Venice officially granted h-im protection from copyright infringements. This edition of Statius was published around the same time and Aldus's warning formula changes slightly - rather than prohibiting the use of his type, he warns against the reproduction of the entire book and points out that this action is now punished by the law.The edition is dedicated to the Italian poet and humanist Giovanni Pontano (1426-1503), a friend and correspondent of Aldus. In the dedication, Aldus offers to publish Pontano's works - we know that Pontano promptly sent them to the Aldine press, and they appeared l

• Printing: later

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