Julius Caesar - C.Iulli Caesaris quae extant - 1635

Julius Caesar – C. Iulii Caesaris quae extant – Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden), Ex Officina Elzeviriana, 1635

A rare and attractive small-format Elzevier edition of the works of Julius Caesar, printed in Leiden in 1635 by the famous Elzevir press.

This pocket-sized classical edition contains the surviving works of Caesar, including De Bello Gallico and related texts, edited after the work of the renowned scholar Joseph Scaliger. The book is illustrated with several finely engraved folding maps and plates depicting ancient geography and Roman military engineering, typical of early Elzevier classical editions intended for scholars and travellers.

The title page features an elaborate engraved device with imperial eagle and decorative cartouches. The volume includes multiple folding maps such as Gallia, Hispania, and the Mediterranean region, as well as engraved illustrations of Roman siege works and fortifications.

Bound in a later vellum binding with handwritten title on the spine: “Caesar’s De Bello Gallico.” The volume bears an early ownership inscription dated 1848 (Trinity College, Oxford) and a later acquisition note from Manchester dated 1945.

A desirable example of a classic Elzevier pocket edition, combining historical importance with attractive early cartography and illustrations.

Details

- Author: Julius Caesar
- Title: C. Iulii Caesaris quae extant
- Place: Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden)
- Publisher: Ex Officina Elzeviriana
- Year: 1635
- Language: Latin
- Format: small 12mo (Elzevier pocket format)
- Binding: vellum binding with manuscript spine title
- Illustrated with engraved plates and several folding maps

Condition

Good overall condition for a 17th-century pocket edition.
Paper evenly toned with some staining and signs of age.
Several folding maps present and complete.
Binding slightly worn with minor creasing and age-related marks.
Ownership inscriptions on the first blank page.

A charming and collectible early Elzevier edition of Julius Caesar. In total 526 pp. , 3 maps and 7 full size engravings.