Ludovico Domenichi - Polibio historico greco - 1545

Polio Historico Greek translated for M. Lodovico Domenichi. With two fragments, in which the republics and the greatness of the Romans are discussed.
• Translator and editor: Lodovico Domenichi (1515–1564).
• Publisher / Printer: Gabriel Giolito de Ferrari.
• Place of printing: In Vinegia (Venice).
• Year of publication: MDXLV (1545).
[12], 322, [2] . 8* octavo
White parchment hard cover.
Manuscript title on the back.
Book in truly excellent condition with fresh pages.

The Polybius historical Greek printed in 1545 is a cornerstone work of the Italian Renaissance. It represents the first translation into the vernacular of Polybius’ Histories, one of the most important historians of the ancient world.
Before this edition, the work was accessible in Europe almost exclusively in ancient Greek manuscripts or in Latin translations intended only for the learned.
The work stands out for three fundamental aspects:
1. Historical Content and the "Fragments"
The book collects Polybius’s narrative of Rome’s rapid rise, capable of conquering the world then known.
• The analysis of the Republics: focused especially on the famous Book VI of Histories, where the Roman constitution is examined. Polybius theorized that Rome’s success depended on its "mixed government", which united the best aspects of monarchy (the Consuls), aristocracy (the Senate) and democracy (the Tribes/People).
• The greatness of the Romans: deep reflections on civil, moral, and military institutions that made the Roman State solid and superior to the Hellenistic kingdoms.
2. Lodovico Domenichi’s Work
The translator, Lodovico Domenichi, did not limit himself to a literal rendering from the original text. His aim was to make Polybius’s dense, analytical, and sometimes pragmatic style fluent and engaging for the ruling class, the nobles, and the intellectuals of the sixteenth century. In a period marked by strong political tensions in Italy, the study of ancient history and forms of government was considered essential to understand the present.