Clarke - Ilias Odyssea - 1754

OMERO TRA NEWTON E L'ILLUMINISMO : ILIADE E ODISSEA COME METAFORA POLITICA MODERNA
This London edition of 1754 of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, edited by Samuel Clarke, represents one of the apexes of classical philology in the modern era, where the ancient text is re-founded in light of scientific rigor and Newtonian culture. Explicitly conceived for the education of Prince William Augustus of Cumberland, the work transcends mere editorial function to become a political and pedagogical instrument: Homer is no longer only a poet, but a moral and intellectual architecture for the formation of the elite. The Greek text and the Latin translation in parallel columns create a continuous tension between origin and interpretation, while the unfolded maps translate epic into measurable space. A book that not only transmits a classic, but disciplines it, organizes it, and bends it to the needs of Enlightenment modernity.
MARKET VALUE
The eighteenth-century editions of the Iliad with Greek and Latin text, especially in the important print runs edited by Samuel Clarke, are highly valued on the collectible market. Complete two-volume quartos, with contemporary maps and well-preserved bindings, typically fall between 700 and 1,000 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
2 volumes. Beautiful contemporary full purple calf binding, decorated boards with gold tooling, richly ornamented spine with raised bands, green leather panels, marbled edges, signs of wear. Text in Greek and Latin laid out in parallel columns. Illustrated with engraved and folded maps (a total of 4 plates). Physiological browning. In antique books with a long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 8nn; 344; 4nn; 348; 12nn; (4). (4); 4nn; 784; 36; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Homeri Ilias Odyssea graece et latine annotationes.
Londini, Johannis et Pauli Knapton, 1754.
Samuel Clarke.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Clarke’s edition of Homer stands at the center of the English philological tradition of the eighteenth century, characterized by a rigorous and rationalist approach to the classical text. Clarke, a philosopher and theologian close to Newtonian thought, interprets Homer not only as a poet but as a source of order and rationality. The choice of the bilingual format allows direct comparison between the original language and the translation, making the work a fundamental tool for the study of Greek. The maps add another dimension: the epic is spatialized, transformed into concrete geography. The work also fits into the tradition of books designed for the education of princes, where classical culture becomes the foundation of political and moral formation.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Samuel Clarke (1675–1729) was an English philosopher, theologian and philologist, one of the leading interpreters and defenders of Isaac Newton’s thought. Educated at Cambridge, he distinguished himself with his theological and philosophical works, but also for his contribution to classical philology. His edition of the Iliad, accompanied by Latin translation and commentary, represents one of his most ambitious projects. After his death, the project was completed by his son, who published the missing parts between 1729 and 1732, leading to the complete edition later reprinted in 1754.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Clarke edition of the Iliad was published in several phases between 1729 and 1732. The second edition of 1754, described here, represents the complete and consolidated form of the work, reprinted to meet the growing demand for reliable critical editions of the classics. Printed in London by the Knaptons, active in disseminating scholarly texts, this edition enjoyed wide circulation in English universities and aristocratic circles, contributing to the formation of generations of scholars.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: uncommon for London editions; records to be verified for presence in Italian libraries
WorldCat: Homeri Ilias, Clarke, London 1754 (OCLC to be verified for variants)
British Library Catalogue: Clarke edition of the Iliad, 1754
Brunet, Manuel du libraire, III, col. 265 (entry Homère)
Graese, Trésor de livres rares et précieux, III, p. 327
Dibdin, Introduction to the Classics, II, p. 54
Lowndes, Bibliographer’s Manual, p. 1102