BOOK, Eutropius’ Roman History, 1512.

Eutropius:

(History of Rome.) - Eutropii historiographi clarissimi Pauliq[ue] Diaconi eiusdem [a]emuli excelle[n]tissimi: de inclytis totius Italic[a]e prouinci[a]e, ac Romanorum gestis libri. xviij.

Paris, apud Galliotum du Pre, 1512 (foreword dated 1513). Folio. (28 x 19,5 cm). [xii] + “LXVI” (but LXV) leaves, lacking final blank. Historiated title printed in red & black. With woodcut vignettes.

Later full vellum, soiled and rubbed, recent bookplate. Complete except for final blank.

Adams E1126. Parisian edition of this important and popular 4th century Roman history.

Eutropius’ Breviarium historiae romanae is a complete compendium, in ten books, of Roman history from the foundation of the city to the accession of Valens. Also included in this volume is Paul the Deacon's Historia Romana, written in the 8th century, which continues Eutropius’ Breviarium down to the time of Justinian. This edition is attractively illustrated with 90 charming woodcuts of Roman portraits (by repetition of 16 blocks), which first appeared in Thomas Ochsenbrunner's Priscorum heroum stemmata (Rome 1494). The three larger cuts represent Junius Brutus, Julius Caesar and Constantin. The title-page, printed in red and black, is embellished with Du Pré’s ‘galley’ device (Renouard 161). The Bibliotheque Nationale records three issues of this edition, of which the present - with the imprint of Galliot Du Pre alone on title and with Du Pre’s device on title - is regarded as the rarest.

See description.