[Odes, in Greek] Olympia, Pythia, Nemea, Isthmia.

£7,500 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

the first Greek book printed in Rome First separate edition, first edition with the scholia, and the first Greek book printed in Rome. The editio princeps of Pindar's epinikia [victory odes] was published by Aldus Manutius in 1513 together with the works of Lycophoron, Callimachus, and Dionysius Periegetes. However, the Aldine edition lacked the correct text and accompanying explanatory scholia required by humanist readers; a requisite fulfilled for the first time by this separate edition printed by Zacharias Kallierges. It was this 1515 edition, also known as the editio Romana, that became the vulgate text for three hundred years due to its great merits. Kallierges, an experienced Cretan printer formerly active in Venice, set up his press in the villa of Cardinal Agostino Chigi, having been invited to Rome by Pope Leo X to teach at the newly founded Ginnasio Mediceo (the Medician Greek College) in 1514. Thanks to funding from Chigi's chancellor Cornelio Benigno (with money lent by Chigi), Kallierges was able to advance on his rivals Angelo Collocci and Janus Lascaris, who planned to set up their own Greek press at the College in 1517. The colophon describes the first quire as 'triadion' (or ternion, i.e. with 3 bifolia), which is somewhat misleading as in all copies but one it has 2 bifolia (as here). Staffan Fogelmark attributes this to the first gathering being reset after Chigi rescinded his patronage of the project, but it was too late to reset the colophon. Described as

• Binding: Hardcover

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