History Holiday 2022 - 80 - Rare First English Translation Of Appian, 1578, A Source For Shakespeare’s Antony And Cleopatra And Julius Caesar 77. APPIAN OF ALEXANDRIA. An Auncient Historie and Exquisite Chronicle of the Romanes Warres. London, 1578. Two parts bound in one volume. Small quarto, 19th-century full crushed dark green morocco gilt. $18,500. First edition in English of one of the classic works on ancient Rome, with the rare third state general title page. An excellent copy, beautifully bound in full morocco-gilt by Riviere. Scarce and desirable. Appian of Alexandria, Greek historian of the conquests by Rome from the republican period into the 2nd century AD, held public office in Alexandria, where he witnessed the Jewish insurrection in 116 AD. After gaining Roman citizenship he went to Rome, practiced as a lawyer, and at an advanced age became a procurator. Appian wrote in Greek this Romaica, or history of Rome, in 24 books, arranged ethnographically according to the peoples (and their rulers) conquered by the Romans. His first book on the civil wars, dealing with the period from Tiberius Gracchus (tribune 133 BC) to Sulla (d. 78 BC), is a major historical source (Britannica). “Since Appian’s narrative of the civil wars ends with the death of Sextus Pompey, Barker decided to supplement the account with material from Plutarch. Subsequently, William Shakespeare used Barker’s Appian when writing Antony and Cleopatra and especially Julius Caesar” (Wilson, Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece). This copy with third state title page, bound without half title and conjugate dedication leaf. Also without errata, though it is possible that errata did not exist in this issue as it is the third state and there have been corrections made to the title. ESTC S1491. Bookplate of Charles Butler of Warren Wood Hatfield. Handwritten page of notes in fine calligraphic hand inserted at front by William Graham, banker and bibliophile. A very few penciled notations to text. Text generally clean. A few pages have been trimmed close along the upper edge, slightly affecting headlines. Small closed tears to title page skillfully repaired; final two leaves with professional repairs along fore-edge. Beautiful Riviere morocco-gilt binding with a few small marks to front panel.
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