1621 Rare Latin vellum Book - Martial's Epigrams - M. Val Martialis Epigrammata
Author: Marcus Valerius Martialis (Martial). Edited by Petrus Scriverius (Peter Schrijver).
Title: M. Val. Martialis, Ex Museo Petri Scriverii.
Publisher: Amstelodami (Amsterdam): Apud Ioannem Ianssonium, circa 1621.
Language: Text in Latin.
Size: 4.5 x 2.5 inches.
Pages: 263 pages.
Binding: Very good contemporary full limp vellum binding with yapp edges, hand-titled in ink on the spine (“Martialis”) (hinges fine - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. The binding remains tight and supple, with minor natural light age toning.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown). A complete and well-preserved edition of Martial’s celebrated Epigrams, printed in elegant small type on crisp early 17th-century paper. Early ink numbering to the front endpaper.
Illustrations: Title page with a beautiful engraved architectural vignette depicting satyrs, muses, and theatrical masks surrounding the title; an emblematic frontispiece of the Museo Petri Scriverii edition.
Estimate: (USD 250 – 500).
The book: A rare early 17th-century Amsterdam edition of Epigrammatum by Marcus Valerius Martialis, edited by the distinguished Dutch humanist Petrus Scriverius. This elegantly printed edition, issued by the prominent publisher Johannes Janssonius, belongs to a lineage of compact scholarly classics produced in the Netherlands during the early 1600s, known for their clarity, portability, and refinement.
The Epigrams, short, witty, and often biting poetic reflections on Roman life, reveal Martial’s keen social observation and unmatched satirical edge. This edition opens with Vita M. Val. Martialis (a biography derived from Petrus Crinitus) and includes the complete Epigrammata de Spectaculis, celebrating the opening of the Colosseum, as well as all fourteen books of epigrams and the Apophoreta (Book XIV).
Printed on fine Dutch paper and bound in its original vellum, this copy is an exquisite survivor from the Dutch Golden Age of classical publishing.
The author: Marcus Valerius Martialis (ca. 40–104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania, renowned for his twelve books of Epigrams, which vividly portray the humor, vices, and vitality of Roman urban life under the emperors Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan. His sharp wit and linguistic precision influenced generations of European poets, from the Renaissance humanists to the satirists of the Enlightenment.
The editor: Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660), Latinized from Pieter Schrijver, was a major Dutch philologist, historian, and editor of classical and medieval texts. His Ex Museo editions (notably Martial, Horace, and Livy) combined textual accuracy with elegant presentation, embodying the scholarly humanism of Leiden and Amsterdam’s early printing culture.
The printer and publisher: Johannes Janssonius (1588–1664), one of the foremost Amsterdam printers, was known for his fine typography and scholarly editions, later partnering with Blaeu in producing atlases and learned works. His editions of the classics, including this Martial, are prized for their clarity and precision.