FR EN
an old book with a picture of a woman and a man on the cover
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

7 - Humanism – Elzevier
See original version (German)

Estimate €200 - €300
Sale commission
Description
Humanism – Elzevier Livius, Titus Historiarum quod extat cum perpetuis Ioannis F. Gronovii et variorum notis. (Vol. 1 of 3). With engraved title page. Amsterdam, Elzevier, 1665. 24 leaves, 820 pp., 37 leaves of contemporary paper with handwritten title (slightly scuffed). First edition. – Willems 1358. Schweiger 534 – First volume of the three-volume edition of Livy published by the Elzevierin Amsterdam, comprising the complete surviving historical work of the Roman historian, edited and annotated throughout by the Dutch philologist Johann Friedrich Gronovius, supplemented by selected variorum commentaries. The volume bears the distinctive engraved copper title page, typical of the Elzevier editions in this series, and features the characteristic small octavo format (24mo/8vo) of the Amsterdam publishing house, with clear Antiqua type and a carefully compiled index. This is Gronovius’s second textual revision, which builds on his first edition of 1645 and, for the first time, introduces a continuous chapter division compared with Heinsius’s edition of 1634, a significant feature for collectors of classical philology and Roman historiography. The footnotes are clearly distinguished between Gronovius’s and Variorum annotations; each volume has its own *Index rerum et verborum*, all in the typographical quality for which Elzeviriana is prized. The Amsterdam printing house run by the brothers—or rather cousins—Ludovicus and Daniel Elzevier was one of the leading European publishing houses for editions of Latin classics in the 17th century, and editions bearing Gronovius’s name remain to this day among the most sought-after reference editions for the reception of Livy, often referred to as the *editio optima*. Ownership note on the endpaper, small number on the title page. First volume of the three-volume edition of Livy published by the Elzevier printers in Amsterdam, containing the complete surviving historical work of the Roman historiographer, edited and annotated throughout by the Dutch philologist Johann Friedrich Gronovius, supplemented by a selection of Variorum commentaries. The volume bears the distinctive engraved copper title page, characteristic of the Elzevier editions in this series, and features the typical small-octavo format (24mo/8vo) of the Amsterdam publishing house, with clear Antiqua type and a carefully prepared index. This is Gronovius’s second textual edition, which follows on from his first revision of 1645 and, compared to Heinsius’s 1634 edition, introduces for the first time a continuous chapter division—a feature of considerable importance for collectors of classical philology and Roman historiography. The footnotes are clearly distinguished between Gronovius’s own annotations and the Variorum notes; each volume has its own index rerum et verborum, all produced to the typographical standard prized in Elzeviriana. The Amsterdam printing house run by the brothers – or rather cousins – Ludovicus and Daniel Elzevier was among the leading European publishing houses of the 17th century for editions of the Latin classics, and editions bearing Gronovius’s name still rank today among the most sought-after reference editions of Livy’s reception, often described as the editio optima.
See original version (German)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like