Caption: "Pliny, Natural History, 'One of the most precious monuments that have come down to us from ancient times' - Cuvier, printed by Johann Froben, Basle, 1525; Pliny the Elder, the busy state official and naval officer, spent his nights and all his spare time in the acquisition of scientific data. He had tracts read to him while he ate and often dictated from his bath. His Natural History appeared about 77 A.D. This digest of over two thousand books is a 'great storehouse of misinformation as well as information; legend and magic are intermingled with historical fact and ancient science.' The thirty-six books cover such miscellaneous subjects as ancient painting, geography of the Roman Empire, gladiatorial contests, industrial processes, Mediterranean trade, mining in ancient Spain, fluctuation of prices in antiquity, nature of ancient beverages, the pagan attitude toward immortality. This work 'was ransacked for more than a thousand years by every important searcher for scientific data.’ This is the first edition of Pliny edited by the great scholar Erasmus and the first to appear under the title of Historia Mundi instead of Historia Naturalis. It was sumptuously printed by Froben, the noted printer of Basle, who was a friend and patron of Erasmus, the scholar, as well as of Holbein, the artist. He established his press in 1491 and continued printing until he died in 1527. In this long period he printed no less than two hundred and fifty-seven works. Nearly all were large volumes of distinctive importance for scholars. Froben’s imprint appears in no book printed in German. Many of the texts which were printed in Latin, Greek or Hebrew were edited and proofread by the printer himself.”
Natural history--Pre-Linnean works Science--Philosophy Printing--Switzerland--Basel--History--16th century Early printed books--Specimens Printing--Specimens
Place
Basel (Switzerland)
Source
Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University
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