1663 Rare French Vellum Book - Heraclius, Emperor of the East - Heraclius Empereur d'Orient by Corneille.

(Description)

Author: Pierre Corneille.
Title: Heraclius Empereur d'Orient, Tragédie.
Publisher: Paris, Suivant la Copie imprimée à Paris, 1663.
Language: Text in French
Size: 5 " X 3 "
Pages: 68 pages.
Binding: Very good contemporary reused vellum binding with manuscript writing visible on both covers (hinges intact, overall slightly worn and scuffed, as shown), under a removable protective mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight, and clean, rare light toning - as shown, last free blank endpaper page lower margin lightly worn - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with a fine engraved frontispiece featuring Heraclius, Emperor of the East, with detailed period costumes and drapery. 

Estimate: (Scarce with no or few other copies available for sale worldwide).

The book: This early edition of Pierre Corneille's Heraclius, Empereur d'Orient is a classic French tragedy first performed in 1647. The plot centers around the life of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, focusing on themes of leadership, loyalty, and political intrigue. Corneille, one of the most prominent dramatists of 17th-century France, is known for his complex characters and intense emotional conflicts, which are well-represented in this historical drama.

The author: Pierre Corneille (1606–1684) is considered one of the greatest playwrights of French classical tragedy. He began his career writing comedies but soon gained fame with his serious dramatic works, most notably Le Cid (1637), Horace (1640), and Cinna (1641). His influence on French literature and the theater is enduring, earning him a reputation as one of the "three greats" of French drama, along with Racine and Molière.