Milestones of Science Books

ARCHIMEDES Syracusani.

Archimedis opera quae extant, novis demonstrationibus commentariisque illustrata per Davidem Rivaltum a Flurantia.

Paris: apud Claudium Morellum, 1615.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002546

Folio (330 x 220 mm). [44], 549 (i.e. 551) [1] pp., title printed in red and black and with woodcut device, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, numerous woodcut diagrams and illustrations in text, parallel Greek and Latin text. Contemporary speckled calf with old rebacking, spine with 5 raised bands and gilt-lettered morocco label (corners bumped, some wear to extremities), red sprinkled edges. Text with even light browning , occasional very minor spotting, faint dampstain to upper corner of final 8 leaves, tiny worm track in first 10 leaves, upper blank corner of Cc3 torn, diagram on p.380 shaved at fore edge as often. Provenance: Sales letter by John Howell Books dated June 11, 1977 loosely inserted, illegible signature to front pastedown. Fine copy. ----

Houzeau-L. 826; DG 6.2146; Brunet I, 384; Ebert 918; Hofmann I, 239; Riccardi I1, 43, 7/1; Bibl. Dt. Mus., Libri rari 14; Cantor II, 659; DSB I, 229. - "Influential Greek and Latin edition" (DSB), valuable for its numerous woodcuts and diagrams, text in Greek and Latin.
Rivault's magisterial edition of Archimedes, containing the Greek text (taken from the editio princeps of 1544), a Latin translation and some of the ancient commentaries, was used by 17th-century scholars such as Fermat and Descartes. Fleurance, after travelling much in his youth, was made, in 1612, tutor to the young Louis XIII, a post he held until he was dismissed for striking his charge's pet dog.

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