Properzio - Aurelius Propertius - 1755

SESTO PROPERZIO BETWEEN EROS AND PHILOLOGY: THE LATIN ELEGY IN THE WIDEST GAZE OF PADUAN ERUDITES
This elegant Padua edition of 1755 presents Propertius not as a poet “alive,” but as a battleground of eighteenth-century philology: a text layered, dissected, recomposed and annotated by a critical tradition that from Passeratio to Broukhusius culminates in the revision by Giovanni Antonio Volpi. We are confronted with a Propertius filtered through erudition, where the amorous pathos of the elegies intertwines with the rigor of variants, indices, and animadversions. The result is a work that not only transmits the text, but tells the history of its modern reception, perfectly embodying the spirit of Padua’s eighteenth‑century editing: elegant, restrained, deeply aware of its role in the classical tradition.
MARKET VALUE
On the antiquarian market, erudite editions of Propertius from the eighteenth century, especially in good contemporary bindings and complete in multiple volumes, generally fetch between 600 and 900 euros; the presence of solid provenance or particularly pristine conditions can further strengthen the valuation.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Two volumes. Contemporary binding in bazan with gilded ornaments and title on the spine; red edges, small losses and signs of wear. Frontispiece in red and black with a engraved vignette. In old books with a centuries‑long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (6); 10nn; 68; 156; 560; (4). (4); 2nn; 728; 4nn; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Sex. Aurelius Propertius Umber.
Patavii, excudebat Josephus Cominus, 1755.
Sesto Aurelio Properzio.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This edition belongs to the great European philological tradition dedicated to Propertius, the elegiac poet of the I century BCE, known for the cycle of elegies to Cynthia, a figure both real and literary, symbolizing a tormented and intellectual love. The text presented here is far from “simple”: it is the result of critical stratification that unites Passeratio’s humanistic commentary, the notes of the Dutch philologist Broukhusius, and the systematic intervention of Giovanni Antonio Volpi, a central figure of Venetian erudition in the eighteenth century. The work thus becomes a true philological laboratory, where the Latin text is continually questioned, corrected, and discussed. The abundance of indices and perpetual animadversions testifies to the intention of constructing a standard edition for scholars and academics. In this sense, the volume fully reflects the Paduan cultural environment, linked to the University and to the Comino press, one of the most refined of its time.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Sesto Aurelio Propertius was probably born in Umbria around 50 BCE and was active in Rome during Augustus’ principate. Placed in Maecenas’ circle, he developed a strongly autobiographical elegiac poetry centered on the love for Cynthia. His elegies are distinguished by their allusive density, stylistic refinement, and intertextual complexity, placing him alongside Tibullus and Ovid as the leading exponent(s) of Latin elegiac poetry.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Editions of Propertius with scholarly apparatus proliferate between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, following the evolution of classical philology. Passeratio’s (XVI century) contribution marks an early humanistic shaping of the text, while Broukhusius (XVII century) introduces a more systematic and comparative approach. The Padua edition of 1755 represents a mature phase of this tradition, where Volpi’s intervention aims to consolidate and harmonize the preceding contributions. The Comino typography in Padua was renowned for its technical quality and its connection with academic circles, ensuring these editions an educated and international diffusion.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: multiple identifications for Padua editions of Propertius by Comino 1755 (to be checked point-by-point for the specific exemplar’s collation)
WorldCat: Propertius, ed. Volpi, Padua, Cominus, 1755 (records vary for two-volume edition)
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares, V, p. 403 (for Propertius’ editorial tradition)
Brunet, Manuel du libraire, IV, col. 915 (Propertius, annotated editions)
Schweiger, Handbuch der classischen Bibliographie, II, pp. 746–750 (editions of Propertius and commentators)
Dibdin, Introduction to the Classics, II, pp. 221–225 (editorial history of Propertius)
Cataloghi delle edizioni Comino (Padua, eighteenth century) and studies on Padua’s university publishing