M. T. Ciceronis - Orationum - 1567

M. Tullii Ciceronis Orationum Volumen II. Lyon, at Antoine Gryphius (son of Sébastien Gryphe), 1567.

Format: in-16° (mm 125 x 85), pp. 705, (31).
Elegant Lyonese edition of the second volume of Cicero’s Orationes, printed by Antoine Gryphe (son of Sébastien Gryphe, one of the most important humanist printers of the 16th century).

The volume gathers numerous Ciceroan orations, including the famous Pro Lege Manilia (or De Imperio Cn. Pompei), the Pro Sulla, the Pro Rabirio, etc., texts fundamental for the study of rhetoric, late Republican Roman history, and law.

Gryphe editions of Cicero are highly sought after by scholars and collectors for their philological care, the clarity of the type, and the pocket/tutorial format, which made them an essential instrument for the diffusion of classical thought in the European Renaissance. The Gryphe dynasty’s activity in Lyon represents one of the peaks of French printing in the sixteenth century. Complete copies from 1567 are rare on the market.

A parchment example of the period, with a hand-written title on the spine. Shows normal age-related wear, traces of handling and some marginal stains, but remains overall intact and usable. Some contemporaneous handwritten notes and ownership mark “Ex libris Luigj Mariani Romani A.B. 1883,” attesting to its nineteenth-century Italian provenance.

Small-format collectible, a cornerstone classic text of Western culture, prestigious printer, documented provenance and ancient notes. An excellent candidate for enthusiasts of Latin classics, the history of printing, and antique bindings.

A fascinating and historically significant piece from one of the most influential editorial traditions of the Renaissance.