Manuzio / Stazio - [Post Incunable] Statii Sylvarum - 1502

The harmony of war and glory: Statius's first Aldina between epic and elegy
First Edition - This rare first Aldine edition brings together for the first time in a single volume the works of Publius Papinius Statius — the Silvae, the Thebaid, and the unfinished Achilleid — restored to their textual purity by the workshop of Aldo Manuzio. The presence of Orthographia et flexus dictionum graecarum omnium, dedicated to Marco Musuro, attests to the collaboration among the greatest minds of Venetian Humanism and marks one of the peaks of Renaissance typographic classicism. The sobriety of the Roman typeface and the famous mark of the anchor and dolphin complete a masterpiece of balance between aesthetics and philology.
Market value
In the international antiquarian market, complete and well-preserved specimens of this first Aldine edition generally range between 8,000 and 14,000 euros, with higher prices for copies in contemporary bindings or of illustrious provenance.

Physical description and condition
Full brown leather binding, spine with raised bands and gold tooling, titled engraved, red edges showing signs of wear. Beautiful rubric initials in various colors. Aldina typographic mark. Light scattered foxing and occasional browning. Handwritten inscription 'Statius' on the front cover; traces of old underlining and marginal notes from the same period in now faded brown ink. Pages (6); 288 pages; (6).

Full title and author
Stations of the Woods
Venice, Aldi Ro., 1502.
Publio Papinio Stazio

Context and Significance
The 1502 edition is a milestone in the history of classical publishing. Aldo Manuzio, with the help of Musuro, restored the text of Statius from carefully revised manuscripts, introducing an editorial model based on typographic balance and philological rigor. The Silvae celebrate courtly and friendship occasion poetry, the Thebaid is one of the most refined epic poems of late Latin literature, while the unfinished Achilleid reveals an elegiac and almost psychological tone, rare in Roman epic poetry. The addition of the Orthographia demonstrates the Aldine workshop's interest in Greek and Latin as tools of literary perfection. This edition marked the Renaissance revival of Statius and served as a model for subsequent reprints, from Gryphius to Estienne.

Biography of the Author
Publio Papinio Stazio (45–96 AD), born in Naples and active in Rome under Domitian, was among the greatest Latin poets of the late Flavian age. Author of the Thebaid, an epic in twelve books about the heroic conflict between Eteocles and Polynices, and of the Silvae, occasional compositions of a celebratory and lyrical tone, he distinguished himself for metric elegance and psychological insight. His unfinished Achilleid stands as a testament to a poet who sought to blend heroism and emotion, foreshadowing the tones of chivalric romance.

Printing history and circulation
The printing was carried out in Venice at Aldo Manuzio's workshop, using Roman and Greek types specifically engraved for the classical editions. The dedication to Andrea Torresano and the mention of Musuro attest to the close collaboration with the Greek humanists residing in Venice. This 1502 edition is the first to include the complete poetic works of Statius. It was followed by a reprint in 1519, and others in the 16th century by Gryphius (Lyon, 1553) and Estienne (Paris, 1555), but the Aldina remains the most sought after for its pure text and high-quality printing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Adams S-1672; Renouard, Annales de l’Imprimerie des Alde, p. 47; Dibdin, Introduction to the Greek and Latin Classics, II, pp. 430-432; Ahmanson-Murphy, The Aldine Press, 40; BMC V, 561; Goff S-735; ISTC is00735000.