Suétone - L’histoire des Empereurs Romains - 1670

SUETONIUS (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus) / DU TEIL, Jean.
The History of the Roman Emperors, with their copper-plate portraits: written in Latin by Suetonius, faithfully translated by M. du Teil. Third edition.
Paris: at Estienne Loyson, in the Palais, at the entrance of the Gallery of Prisoners, in the Name of Jesus [1670].
1 volume in-12 (approximately 16.5 × 10 cm), full brown calf of the period, spine with five ribs richly adorned with gilded compartments bearing floral motifs, title piece in red morocco.

Full brown calf of authentic period. The spine is adorned with gilded compartments and the rosettes are well preserved, with an old title piece. Use wear and superficial rubbing on the boards and the chapes with a small loss at the tail, corners solid. Fresh on period laid paper. The work is illustrated with 6 engraved portraits (out of 12) on copper in medallion (engraving) of the Roman emperors accompanied by biographies and captions. Presence of an ancient manuscript inscription on the title page (‘Bibliotheca [...] Godard’).

Third French edition of the classic translation of Suetonius’s Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Jean du Teil, published in Paris in 1670 by Estienne Loyson. This major historical text of Roman historiography narrates the intimate life, scandals, politics, and reigns of the emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian, illustrated by a remarkable series of copper-engraved portraits.