Roman Historie First Edition - Marcellinus - Bauman Rare Books

Roman Historie

MARCELLINUS | Philemon HOLLAND

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Roman Historie

“THE LAST ROMAN HISTORIAN OF ANY IMPORTANCE”: PHILEMON HOLLAND’S FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH OF MARCELLINUS’ ROMAN HISTORIE, 1609

(MARCELLINUS) HOLLAND, Philemon, translator. The Roman Historie, Containing such Acts and Occurents as Passed under Constantius, Iulianus, Iovianus, Valentinianus, and Valens, Emperours. London: Adam Islip, 1609. Quarto, period style full brown calf gilt, red morocco spine label, speckled edges.

First English translation, by Philemon Holland, of this important source for the lives of the later Roman emperors.

Ammianus Marcellinus, the “last Roman historian of any importance,” first began his history of the emperors in about 390 A.D. As a younger man Marcellinus fought under Julian against the Alemanni and Persians, and his work provides an eyewitness account of the period 353-378. Of the original 31 books only 18 were extant at the time of Holland’s translation, and his work includes a chronology of the time period covered by the lost books. Three years earlier, Holland had translated Suetonius’ Historie of Twelve Caesars, Emperors of Rome (1606), so Marcellinus’ Roman Historie was a logical next pursuit. “Holland’s translations are faithful and readable. Fuller designates him the ‘translator generall in his age,’ and asserts that ‘these books alone of his turning into English will make a country gentleman a competent library” (DNB). Embellished with elaborate woodcut headpieces and initials, and printer’s device on title page. STC 17311. Harris, 5. Brueggemann, 744. Moss I, 40. Owner name.

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