Petronio - Satyricon - 1709

SATYRICON DI PETRONIO LO SPUDORATO
Monumental and philologically ambitious edition of Petronius’ Satyricon, one of the most enigmatic and caustic texts of Latin literature, here restored in its learned and commented form within the great era of Dutch critical humanism. The work, fragmentary and elusive, becomes in this edition a laboratory of interpretation, where the ancient text interweaves with notes, dissertations, and erudite apparatuses that amplify its significance. Between licentious scenes, social satire, and reflection on power and decadence, the Satyricon emerges as a deforming but lucid mirror of Roman civilization — and, indirectly, of every civilization.
MARKET VALUE
Copies of this important Dutch edition of the Satyricon, complete in two volumes, generally range from 800 to 1,000 euros on the antiquarian market, with higher prices for copies in excellent condition or with particularly refined bindings.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
2 volumes. Contemporary full-morocco bindings, with double gilt rule on boards; spines with gold ornamental raised bands, front board of the first volume detached, hinges weakened, signs of wear, minor damage; marbled endpapers. Engraved frontispiece, title page in red and black, wood-engraved initials. Pagination error in the second volume at p. 251. In old books with a multi-century history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pages: (4); 38; 688; (4). (4); (4); 4nn; 368; 116nn; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Satyricon quae supersunt.
Trajecti ad Rhenum, apud Guilielmum Vande Water, 1709.
Titi Petronii Arbitri.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This edition sits at the heart of Dutch philology between the 17th and 18th centuries, when scholars such as Burman, Heinsius, and others transformed classical texts into objects of systematic analysis, enriching them with complex critical apparatuses. The Satyricon, already a problematic and lacunose text, finds here a new “total” form: not only a literary work but a battlefield of interpretation. The presence of multiple commentators reflects the stratification of humanistic knowledge, where every fragment is discussed, corrected, and reinterpreted. From a literary standpoint, Petronius’ work remains unique: an episodic, ironic, and profoundly ambiguous narrative that blends high and low, philosophy and triviality, myth and daily life. The engraved frontispiece and the illustrations within the text reinforce the theatrical and visual dimension of the tale, turning reading into an almost scenographic experience.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Petronius Arbiter, active in the 1st century AD at Nero’s court, is traditionally identified with the refined courtier described by Tacitus. Considered the ‘arbiter elegantiae,’ he was the supreme judge of taste and luxury in Imperial Rome. His work, the Satyricon, is one of the few examples of a Latin novel that has come down to us, famous for its crude realism, caustic irony, and unfiltered portrayal of Roman society. His death, according to sources, was a suicide orchestrated with elegant theatricality, consistent with his figure as a disenchanted aesthete.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in Utrecht (Trajectum ad Rhenum) in 1709 by Guilielmus Vande Water, this edition represents one of the high points of the Satyricon’s modern editorial tradition. Dutch editions of this period are noted for typographical accuracy and the breadth of their critical apparatus. It had wide diffusion among scholars and collectors, but the work’s complexity and quarto format make it less common on the market today than later or simplified editions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: IT\ICCU\TO0E\060070 (edition Trajecti ad Rhenum, 1709)
WorldCat: OCLC 457343187
Brunet, Manuel du libraire, IV, col. 498–500 (Petronius, Dutch commented editions)
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares, V, p. 229
Schweiger, Handbuch der classischen Bibliographie, II, p. 737
Burman, Petronius, praefatio (1709) per contesto editoriale