SCARCE ILLUMINATED VENETIAN INCUNABLE OF LIVY’S ROMAN HISTORY

ILLUMINATED NOBILIAR COAT OF ARMS OF GINORI FAMILY FROM FLORENCE

TITUS LIVIUS-BOCCACCIO, GIOVANNI (TRANSLATOR). Tractato del primo libro de Tito Livio Padovano: cioe de la quarta Deca de la guerra de Macedonia: et il trentauno ab urbe condita & primo de lo auctore il prohemio […] [at colophon:] Impressa per maestro Octaviano Scoto […] nel M.cccclxxxi adì xxviii de giugno in Venetia [Venice, Ottaviano Scoto, 28 June 1481].

Folio (300x205 mm), cc. [1], [135].
Roman type, text in Italian. 2 columns, 54 lines.
Register: a10 aa-mm10 nn6.

FIRST LEAF ENTIRELY ILLUMINATED, with a large initial “C” in burnished gold and colours, floral extensions in gold and colours at inner blank margin; at lower blank margin, illuminated nobiliar Coat of arms into a laurel crown, surrounded by floral decorations in gold and colours.

Scarce Venetian illuminated incunable of Livy’s Historiae ad Urbe condita («Histories from the foundation of Rome»), a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC through the reign of Augustus in Livy’sw own time.

The translation from Latin was made by Giovanni Boccaccio, the renowned author of Decameron.
In his Histories, Livy explains the complete history of the city of Rome, from its foundation to the death of Augustus (14 AD). Because he was writing under the emperor Augustus, Livy’s history emphasizes the great triumphs of Rome. He wrote his history with embellished accounts of Roman heroism in order to promote the new type of government implemented by Augustus when he became emperor. In Livy’s preface to his history, he said that he did not care whether his personal fame remained in darkness, as long as his work helped to «preserve the memory of the deeds of the world’s preeminent nation». Because Livy was writing about events that had occurred hundreds of years beforehand, the value of his history was questionable, although many Romans came to believe what he wrote to be the true history of Rome’s foundation.

TITUS LIVIUS (59 BC–AD 17), also know in English as LIVY, was a Roman historian, who went from Padua, his home city, to Rome in the 30s BC, and it is likely that he spent a large amount of time in the city after this, although it may not have been his primary home. During his time in Rome, he was never a senator nor held any other governmental position. His elementary mistakes in military matters show that he was never a soldier. However, he was educated in philosophy and rhetoric. It seems that Livy had the financial resources and means to live an independent life. He devoted a large part of his life to his writings, which he was able to do because of his financial freedom. He was familiar with the emperor Augustus, formerly Octavian, and the imperial family. Considering Augustus came to be known as the greatest Roman emperor in the eyes of the Romans, being a historian under Augustus was very beneficial to Livy’s career even after his death.

Livy’s only surviving work is this History of Rome, which was his career from an age in middle life, until he left Rome for Padua in old age, probably after the death of Augustus in the reign of Tiberius. When he began this work he was already past his youth; presumably, events in his life prior to that time had led to his intense activity as a historian. Seneca the Younger gives brief mention that he was also known as an orator and philosopher and had written some treatises in those fields from a historical point of view.

Livy wrote during the reign of Augustus, who came to power after a civil war with generals and consuls claiming to be defending the Roman Republic, such as Pompey. Patavium had been pro-Pompey. To clarify his status, the victor of the civil war, Octavian Caesar, had wanted to take the title Romulus (the first king of Rome) but in the end accepted the senate proposal of Augustus. He did not abolish the republic de facto but adapted its institutions into the empire.

During the Middle Ages interest in Livy declined. The Renaissance was a time of intense revival; the population discovered that Livy was being lost and large amounts of money changed hands in the rush to collect Livy manuscripts. The poet Beccadelli sold a country home for the money to purchase one manuscript copied by Poggio. Petrarch and Pope Nicholas V launched a search for the now missing books. Laurentius Valla published an emended text initiating the field of Livy scholarship. Dante speaks highly of him in his poetry, and Francis I of France commissioned extensive artwork treating Livian themes; Niccolò Machiavelli’s work on republics, the Discourses on Livy is presented as a commentary on the History of Rome.

PROVENANCE: Illuminated coat of Arms of the GINORI FAMILY from Florence at first leaf. Although a little faded, it is possible to recognize the armorial coat of the Florentine family Ginori, here below reproduced.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES: HR 10146; IGI 5784; BMC V 276; GW M18516; Goff L253; Pellechet, Ms 7221 (7162); CIBN L-192; Frasson-Cochet 186; IBE 3527; Madsen 2500; Voullième (B) 3902; Bod-inc L-128; Sheppard 3634; Proctor, 4567.

Very fine.