Beschreibung:

Vergil, Aenied and Georgics, in Latin hexameter verse, 2 fragments of bifolia from a decorated manuscript on paper [Northern Germany (Rhineland, probably Cologne, Colmar or Wolbeck), c. 1466] Two nearly complete bifolia, with sections of Georgics, book III and the opening lines of book 1 of the Aenied (that below a three-quarter length blank space, presumably left for large miniature, perhaps emulating an ancient exemplar, as well as parts of books IV-V of the same with the argumentum for book V, single column, 25 lines in a skilled semi-humanist hand, another contemporary hand adding parts of Georgics, smaller semi-humanist script glossing the opening of the Aenied, initials touched in red, paragraph marks in red, one 2-line red initial in florid brushstrokes, remains of base of a large simple initial ‘I’ (opening “Interea medium Aeneas …”) with half-bauble mounted within its foot, watermark in centre of a leaf in each bifolium a match for Briquet 8567 (securely recorded in Colmar and Cologne in 1466, and Wolbeck in 1467), with losses at top of leaves removing some lines of text, discolouration, slight offset from printed leaves running at right angle to direction of manuscript text, tears to top of leaves and paper there woolly in places, and small wormholes mostly in lower border, all concomitant with reuse in binding, but overall in fair and presentable condition, each leaf with total outer measurements of c. 282 by c. 205mm. From a British private collection. Vergil (more properly Publius Vergilius Maro, 70 BC.-19 BC.) was the foremost Latin poet of the Roman Empire. The Aeneid is perhaps his finest work, and one of the fundamental texts of western literature. He wrote it during the last years of his life, from 29-19 BC. for Emperor Augustus, and it is recorded that he recited books 2, 4 and 6 to the emperor personally, and that the last of those caused Octavia, the emperor’s sister, to faint. It was quickly accepted as the national epic of the Roman Empire, relating the story of Aeneas the Trojan refugee and his struggles to fulfill his destiny and get to Italy, where he would found Rome. It remained unfinished on the sudden death of the author in 19 BC., and Augustus ordered the poet’s literary executors to disregard his wish that the work be burned, having them publish it instead with as few editorial changes as possible. The Georgics was probably composed in 37-29 BC. when the author was in the sway of Maecenas, Emperor Octavian’s great politician, and the work is dedicated to this statesman. It is on agriculture(with books on raising crops and trees, livestock and horses, and beekeeping), an ideal and tranquil pursuit thought noble and instructive for Roman noblemen. The author is said to have taken turns with Maecenas reciting the work to Octavian on his return from defeating Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Both were of fundamental importance for Roman literature and the humanist revival of the fifteenth century. It is worth note that the present leaves come from a rare corner of the Renaissance - that of fifteenth-century Germany.