Wonderful illuminated incunable of Herodianus’ Histories of the Roman Empire: the only reliable source on the Roman emperor Heliogabalus.

A large initial illuminated in burnished gold and colors with a refined illuminated border from a North-Italian atelier.

With 8 distinguished provenances through the centuries

HERODIANUS. Herodiani Historiae de imperio post Marcum vel de suis temporibus liber primus e Graeco translatus Angelo Politiano interprete ad Innocentium .VIII. pontificem maximum prohoemium. Quod quidem opus novum et aureum Plato de Benedictis acuratissime Anno Domini .M.CCCC.LXXXXIII […] Bononiae […] impressit [Bologna: Plato de Benedictis, 1493].

Folio (293x202 mm), stiff vellum binding with simple fillet frame blind-tooled to covers, gilt letterings and decorations at spine, blue edges, ff. [68]. Collation: aa-hh8 ii4. The book goes with a modern green case with five raised bands spine in leather and gilt letterings; the case’s interior is covered in green velvet. Roman type, text in Latin.

A large illuminated initial in burnished gold and colors into refined illuminated frame surrounding the text from a North Italian atelier, presumably in the area of Bologna. The decoration is based on blue and white lines spotted in gold with enlargements in the form of palms’ leaves. In the middle of each frame’s branch, delicate floral penworks and smart ornaments in colours and “bianchi girari”. The first paragraph contianed in the frame is printed in red ink.

At the same page, extremely elegant illuminated initial on six lines, traced in purple on gold field and intertwined with flowers. Two rubricated capital letters in red and blue at f. A1v and a2r.

Wonderful illuminated incunable of Herodianus’ Histories of the Roman Empire with Politian’s translation from Greek. It is the most important source of information about the Roman emperor Elagabalus (also known as Heliogabalus) and every following historian got material on the matter from it.

Herodian’s Roman History is a collection of eight books covering the period from the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 A.D. to the beginning of Gordian III’s reign in 238. It provides a first person account of one of the most politically diverse times of the roman empire.

Content: The first book describes the reign of Commodus from 180 A.D. to 192, and the second discusses the Year of the Five Emperors in 193. Book Three encompasses the reign of Septimius Severus from 193 to 211, while the fourth discusses the reign of Caracalla from 211 to 217. Book five is about the reign of Elagabalus from 218 through 222, and book six deals with the reign of Severus Alexander from 222 to 235. The seventh book recounts the reign of Maximinus Thrax from 235 to 238, and the final one describes the Year of the Six Emperors in 238. Most likely, Herodian is writing for an eastern audience, for he often explains different Roman customs and beliefs that would have seemed foreign to Easterners.

Herodian has been both praised and criticized by scholars. The first person on record to review Herodian is the ninth-century patriarch of Constantinople, Photius. Of Herodian, Photius wrote that «he neither exaggerates with hyperbole nor omits anything essential; in short, in all the virtues of historiography there are few men who are his superior».

Zosimus used him as a source as did John of Antioch when writing his World Chronicle. An English translator of the Roman History wrote in 1705 that Herodian «still preserves a Majesty suitable to the Greatness of the Subject which he treats, and has something in him so pleasing and comely, as perhaps all the Art and Labour of other Men can never reach».

Herodian has long been criticized for a lack of historical accuracy, but recent studies have tended to side with him, legitimizing his historical facts. In the second book, Herodian states that his intention was to «narrate only the most important and conclusive […] actions separately and in chronological order» (2.15.7). Because of this, Herodian sometimes consolidates a large number of events into very short references.

Herodianus of Syria (ca. 170-240 A.D.) was a minor Roman civil servant and a Greek (perhaps from Antioch) who appears to have lived for a considerable period of time in Rome, but possibly without holding any public office. From his extant work, we gather that he was still living at an advanced age during the reign of Gordianus III, who ascended the throne in 238. Beyond this, nothing is known of his life.

Angelo Ambrogini called Poliziano (1454-1494) was poet and philologist, as well as the most refined intellectual of Florentine Humanistic culture that led to the Renaissance. He was born in Montepulciano (Mons Politianus in Latin: hence, Poliziano), near Siena. In 1464 his father, jurist and merchant linked to the Medici family, was killed by the relatives of a man he had sent to prison. Four years later, Angelo moved to Florence and, thanks to the protection of the Medici and his association with the most renowned masters of the town, he gained a deep knowledge of classical literature, languages and culture. After becoming friend to Lorenzo de’ Medici, from 1473 on he could frequent his court, consult his library and in 1475 he became Lorenzo’s personal secretary and the tutor of his eldest son Piero. Promoter of an open-minded and eclectic imitation of the classics, in his works Poliziano let us the image of a refined and complete world, leaning toward perfection and balance.Provenance: I. Unknown Renaissance noble family. At the bottom of f. a3r, contemporary armorial medallion (erased) presumably dating back to the age of the printing.
II. Contemporary pen annotation at f. a1r with the signatures of Francesco Tranchedini of Pontremoli and his son Sforza Tranchedini (17th century), descending from Nicodemo Tranchedini, powerful Ambassador of Francesco Sforza of Milan.
III. Small pen note at the upper corner of first fly-leaf attesting the belonging to Samuel Weller Singer (1783-1858) that bought this book in a sale at Sotheby’s, on 23 April 1818 (£ 1.10).
IV. Richard Heber (1773-1833) is attested as buyer of this volume at a sale, part V, 19 January 1835, lot 2245 on a printed note at first fly-leaf (noting the illuminated first page).
V. Presentation note from William John 6th Baron Monson and Debonnaire John 7th Baron Monson to Henry Downton at first flyleaf, dated 18 June 1842. The Monson boys, at the time, were eleven and twelve years old, while Downton, born in 1818, was completing his graduation at the Trinity College of Cambridge, where he also worked as sub-librarian. His relationship with the Monson family saw him being their Domestic Chaplain in old age.
VI. Printed, paper ex-libris at first paste-down stating the provenance from the library of George Dunn (1865-1912) of Woolley Hall near Maidenhead (Sotheby’s sale, 4 February 1914, lot 1186, £2.10 to Leighton).
VII. The copy belonged also to the famous painter Charles Fairfax Murray (sale Sotheby’s, 18 March 1918, lot 349, £16 to Quaritch)
VIII. Two paper ex-libris at first paste-down belonging to Boies Penrose (1902-76), nephew to the omonimous Republican Senator of the USA. Penrose was a refined scholar and book collector whose properties he dispersed in part on a sale at Sotheby’s in 1971 (9 September 1971, lot 319, £280 to C.W. Traylen).

References: HC 8467*; IGI 4690; BMC VI 827; Goff H86;; BSB-Ink H-118; GW 12319; Pellechet Ms 5783 (5777); CIBN H-52; Parguez 525; Péligry 412; Torchet 434; Delisle 903; Maignien (Grenoble) 311; IBE 2859; IBP 2725; Sajó-Soltész 1643; CCIR H-10; IDL(Suppl) 2247a; Martín Abad H-13; Madsen 1932; Günt(L) 461; Voullième (B) 2758; Schmitt I 2758; Deckert 356; Sack(Freiburg) 1799; Kind(Göttingen) 163; Walsh 3210; Rhodes(Oxford Colleges) 904; Bod-inc H-052; Sheppard 5344; Proctor, 6598.

A few minor stains at the first 4 pages and the last, but overall very fine copy with wide margins and well preserved miniaturing.