Herodotus. Herodoti Libri nouem quibus Musarum indita sunt nomina Musarum nomina Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Tersichore, Erato, Polymnia, Vrania, Calliope [Greek]. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, September 1502

First edition of Herodotus' history of the Persian Wars, edited by Aldo himself, and arguably the first work that can truly be called a history in the modern sense. Rather than constructing a mere chronicle, Herodotus “was the first to collect his materials systematically, to test their accuracy as far as he could, and arrange his story in such a way as to appeal to, as well as inform, his readers” (PMM). Herodotus’s History attempts to identify both cause and e🔯ffect, and places the wars into the larger context of Greek history. A very attractive copy of this rare, monumental work of scholarship.

Folio (314 x 209 mm). Greek and Roman type, 55 lines plus headline. collation: aaAA-ppRR⁸ εεSS⁴: 140 leaves. Woodcut A🦩ldine device on title-page and verso of εεSS4. (Title a bit browned and with small repairs at lower margin, small inherent paper flaw to hhGG5, stray spots.)

binding: Nineteenth-century red morocco (319 x 223 mm), covers triple ruled in gilt, spine with raised bands in seven compartments, second and third gilt-lettered, others with repeat gilt decoration, inner dent📖elles gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

provenance: John Scott (1830-1903), bookplate to pastedown, "AMO" and "J.Y.S." — Sotheby's London, 27 March-6 April 1905, lot 907 — Johnston, purchased in previous sale. acquisition: Purchased from Bernard Quaritch, London, 1970. references: UCLA 62; Renouard 35/8; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 64; Grolier/Aldus 16; Edit16 22655; USTC 835663