Properzio - Aurelii Propertii Elegiarum - 1780

THE LATIN ELEGY BETWEEN HUMANISM AND LATE-SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY TYPOGRAPHY
Elegant late-eighteenth-century edition of Propertius’ elegies, one of the greatest poets of the Augustan age, offered in a scholarly and solemn editorial format, intended for study and the erudite library. Printed at Trajectum ad Rhenum in 1780, the work reflects the renewed philological interest in the Latin classics in eighteenth-century European culture, with particular attention to textual accuracy and the material dignity of the book. The presence of the calcographic portrait of the author underscores the celebratory and canonical aim of the edition.
MARKET VALUE
The eighteenth-century editions of Propertius in quarto format, complete and in period bindings, persistently meet interest in the market for classical and humanist books. For a copy such as the present one, in two volumes with a frontispiece engraved, a realistic estimate lies roughly between 500 and 700 euros, varying according to the condition of the parchment, the freshness of the pages, and the completeness of the preliminary material.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Two-volume work. Contemporary full parchment rigid binding, six raised bands on the spine with cords; color-edged pages. Typographic frontispieces; on sheet A2r a calcographic portrait of Propertius. Sheets with widespread foxing. In old books with a long history, there may be some imperfections or minor defects not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 8nn; 14; 2nn; 480; (2). (2); 510; 2nn; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Sex. Aurelii Propertii Elegiarum libri.
Trajecti ad Rhenum, apud Barth. Wild, 1780.
Sesto Properzio.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Sesto Properzio occupies a central position in Latin elegiac poetry, alongside Tibullus and Ovid. His elegies, dominated by the figure of Cynthia, blend amorous introspection, myth, and political reflection, offering one of the most refined expressions of Augustan literary sensibility. In the eighteenth century, Propertius is rediscovered as a complex and learned author, and quarto editions like the present one respond to the need for thorough philological study and a bookstore presentation befitting the text’s prestige.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Sextus Propertius was born in Assisi around 50 B.C. and probably died after 15 B.C. A laméd elegiac poet of the Augustan age, he was connected to Maecenas’ circle. His work, arranged in four books of elegies, exerted a lasting influence on the Western lyrical tradition for its psychological intensity and stylistic refinement.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Trajectum ad Rhenum edition of 1780 belongs to the vibrant Dutch typographic production of classical texts destined for the European market. Printed by Bartholomaeus Wild, it testifies to the international diffusion of humanistic studies and the central role of the Netherlands in the circulation of the learned book in the late eighteenth century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN, eighteenth-century editions of Propertius
WorldCat, records for Sex. Aurelii Propertii Elegiarum, 1780
BnF, Bibliothèque nationale de France, fonds latin classique
Repertori di edizioni classiche olandesi del XVIII secolo