Rollin / Crévier - Histoire Romaine - 1748

THE GREAT STORY OF ROME AS A POLITICAL AND MORAL SYSTEM, IN THE AGE OF THE LIGHTS
Monumental eighteenth-century edition of the Histoire Romaine, one of the most influential historical syntheses on ancient Rome produced in modern times. The work, started by Charles Rollin and completed by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Crévier, accompanies the reader from the founding of Rome to the Battle of Actium, interpreting republican history as a moral, political, and civil laboratory. The sixteen volumes were published progressively, as shown by the dates on the title pages ranging from 1748 to 1763, reflecting the lengthy editorial gestation of the work and its ongoing updating. The result is a coherent and authoritative corpus, fully embedded in the historical and pedagogical culture of the French Enlightenment.
MARKET VALUE
The complete 16-volume editions of the Histoire Romaine by Rollin and Crévier, especially when preserved in uniform period bindings with the cartographic apparatus present, are consistently sought after in the European antique market. For a set like the present one, with title pages dated 1748-1763, in marbleized calf leather of the period and with stated defects but without substantial omissions, a realistic estimate falls roughly between €1,800 and €5,000 in total, with variations tied to the condition of the bindings, the completeness of the maps, and the freshness of the interiors.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Edition in 16 volumes, with title pages bearing dates between 1748 and 1763. Period bindings in marbleized calf leather, smooth backs decorated with ornamental compartments in gilt, with titles and author names on inlays; slight differences in the tooling of some volumes. The illustration program includes 9 large folded plates depicting plans and maps, including the famous map of Hannibal’s expedition. Presence of some abraded tips, chafing on the boards. Interiors with some foxing and browning; two plates show tears without loss of paper. Provenance: two manuscript ex-libris on the title pages, one of which is rubbed. As with all old books, with a centuries-long history, a few imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description. Pp.: about 600/700 pages per volume.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Histoire Romaine depuis la fondation de Rome jusqu’à la bataille d’Actium, c’est-à-dire jusqu’à la fin de la République.
Paris, chez les Frères Étienne, Desaint & Saillant, 1748-1763.
Charles Rollin, Jean-Baptiste-Louis Crévier.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Histoire Romaine by Rollin represents one of the foundational texts of modern historiography on republican Rome. Designed as an educational work, it profoundly influenced the historical and political formation of European Enlightenment, presenting Rome as a model of civic virtue, institutional balance, and moral decline. Rollin managed to publish only the first volumes; after his death, Crévier continued and completed the work, preserving its ethical and narrative framework. The plurality of dates on the title pages testifies to the work’s long scholarly fortune and its continued use over more than a decade.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in Paris for the Frères Étienne, important booksellers-publishers of the eighteenth century, the work enjoyed wide circulation in France and abroad. The numerous reprints and new editions up to the nineteenth century confirm the central role of the Histoire Romaine as a reference text for studying ancient history in the modern era.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Quérard, La France littéraire, vol. VIII, p. 128
BnF, Bibliothèque nationale de France, historical catalogs
WorldCat, records for Histoire Romaine, editions 1748-1763
Enciclopedia Treccani, entries Rollin and Crévier