Martialis - Epigrammata - 1704

MARBLE BETWEEN SATIRE, MASKS, AND BAROQUE DEMONS: A REFINED DUTCH EDITION OF 1704
Elegant and fascinating eighteenth-century edition of Martial’s Epigrams, printed in Amsterdam in 1704 and preserved in a splendid contemporaneous full parchment binding with a calligraphic title on the back “Martialis Epigrammata.” The volume perfectly embodies the erudite and theatrical taste of Dutch publishing between the 17th and 18th centuries: a small Latin classic transformed into a refined object for study and collecting. The extraordinary allegorical frontispiece, populated by satyrs, female figures, putti, and theatrical masks, is almost a hellish stage that reflects the ambiguous nature of Martial’s work: ironic, obscene, brilliant, cruel, and deeply modern. This copy, authentically lived through and marked by time, preserves all the material charm of books that actually circulated in humanist colleges and European private libraries of the early 18th century.
MARKET VALUE
Dutch editions of Latin classics printed in the early decades of the 18th century, especially in small format and with an integral contemporaneous binding, maintain a stable collecting market. Martial’s Epigrams with notes by Théophile Farnaby and an allegorical frontispiece generally fetch between 300 and 800 euros, with higher values for copies particularly fresh, complete, or from ancient noble libraries.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full parchment binding with manuscript title on the back “Martialis Epigrammata.” Architectural and allegorical frontispiece with satirical figures, putti, grotesque creatures and theatrical personifications. Leaves with some browning and physiological foxing, tears, signs of use, small losses and ancient restorations. In old books with a centuries-long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 492; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
M. Val. Martialis Epigrammata, Cum Notis Th. Farnabii.
Amsterdomi, apud Johannem Maneré, 1704.
Marcus Valerius Martialis.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Martial’s Epigrams represent one of the absolutely highest points of Latin satirical literature. Through very short, devastating compositions, Martial built a ruthless portrait of Imperial Rome: a city inhabited by courtiers, wealthy freedmen, failed poets, adulterers, incompetent doctors, prostitutes, parasites, and decadent aristocrats. No ancient author fused so effectively stylistic elegance, moral aggressiveness, and obscene humor. In the Dutch publishing world of the early 18th century, Latin classics Were reprinted in compact formats intended for study as well as private collection. Théophile Farnaby’s notes, a renowned English humanist and pedagogue, contributed greatly to Martial’s scholarly fortunes in European colleges. This edition perfectly reflects that erudite, cosmopolitan culture that viewed Amsterdam as the capital of international learned printing. The magnificent engraved frontispiece is especially significant: the satyrs and grotesque figures supporting the symbolic architecture seem to evoke the sober and carnal theater of Martial’s epigrams, turning the book into a miniature “human comedy,” suspended between classicism and baroque spirit.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Marcus Valerius Martialis was born in Bilbilis, in Hispania Tarraconensis, around 38–41 AD and died probably after 102 AD. Moving to Rome during Nero’s reign, he became famous for his Epigrams, short, sharp poems that earned him enormous notoriety among Roman society. He frequented the literary circles of the Flavian age and refined a fast, ironic, and often provocative style, capable of deeply influencing the European satirical tradition, from Rabelais to libertine and Enlightenment culture.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Editions of Martial annotated by Théophile Farnaby had a vast circulation between the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in the Netherlands and England. The reduced, portable format favored classroom and personal use. Early 18th-century Dutch prints are today sought after for both typography and their authentically “usable” character, often preserved in contemporaneous parchments that are highly evocative from a collecting standpoint.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Brunet, Manuel du Libraire, III, col. 1507-1515.
Graesse, Trésor de Livres Rares, IV, p. 414.
Schweiger, Handbuch der klassischen Bibliographie, II, p. 642.
Fabricius, Bibliotheca Latina, II, pp. 412-420.
Moss, Manual of Classical Bibliography, II, pp. 357-360.
ICCU/OPAC SBN, Farnaby editions of Martial, copies catalogued.
WorldCat, Amsterdam 1704 editions of Martial with Farnaby notes.
Catalogue of the British Library, Latin Classics section, Martial.
BnF Catalogue, Réserve des livres rares department, Dutch editions of Martial, 18th century.