A finely printed early 16th-century edition of the complete works of the late Roman poet Claudian, published by the Aldine Press just after the death of Aldus Manutius. This edition reflects the hallmark editorial rigor of Torresano and features the distinctive Aldine italic type designed for portability and legibility.
Claudius Claudianus (ca. 370-ca. 404 CE) was a Greco-Roman poet and the last major literary figure of classical Latin poetry. Born in Alexandria and active at the Western Roman court in Milan and Ravenna, Claudian rose to prominence under the patronage of the general Stilicho. His work -composed almost entirely in Latin verse - includes panegyrics, invectives, and mythological epics that blend classical form with late imperial politics. Celebrated in the Renaissance for his rhetorical brilliance and mastery of hexameter, Claudians oeuvre was central to the humanist rediscovery of late Roman literature.
With the printed book plate of the Oxford scholar Wilfred Merton (1888-1957) mounted on the front pastedown and some annotations on the front endpapers. The binding is somewhat rubbed, the corners of the boards are bumped, the gutters of the endpapers have been reinforced, some occasional minor (dust) soiling to the edges of the leaves, otherwise fine and clean. Overall in very good condition. BM STC Italian, p. 186; Edit16 12668; USTC 822854; Renouard 96:1; Ahmanson-Murphy 218.