Iustino uulgarizato iustissimamente qui comencia. Prologio

Iustino uulgarizato iustissimamente qui comencia. Prologio

Although over fifteen hundred years after the fact, scholars have yet to agree on a date of activity for Latin historian Justinus. Depending on the source consulted, Justinus is said to have flourished anywhere from the 2nd century AD to the 4th century AD.
Iustino uulgarizato iustissimamente qui comencia, a title derived from the work’s incipit, that is, the opening lines of text, is an Italian translation of Justinius’ Historiae Philippicae. A summary of the original work of Pompeius Trogus (1st century BC, and in the time of Augustus), Justinus’ Historiae Philippicae documents the history of the Macedonians, and, more specifically, the exploits of Alexander the Great.
As previously stated, Iustino uulgarizato iustissimamente qui comencia is an Italian translation from the original Latin. While not stated explicitly, the translator is presumed to be Girolamo Squarciafico, based on his epistolary dedication to Nicola di Montforte, found on the last four pages of the work and dated September 12, 1477. Squarciafico was a fifteen century Classics scholar, hailing from Venice; he was best known for his commentaries on the works of Petrarch, Boccaccio and various authors of the classical era. Nicola di Montforte was Count of Campobasso, which is, interestingly, a region in the area of Naples and nowhere near Venice.
Given Squarciafico’s connection to Venice, it is perhaps no coincidence that Iustino uulgarizato iustissimamente qui comencia is printed in Venice, as is stated in the title’s colophon, which appears just before Squarciafico’s dedication to Montforte: “ Et impresso in lalma citade de uenesia : alle spesse di Iohanne da colonia & Iohanne gheretze compagno, 1477.ali giorni.x.septembr.” Iohann da Colonia, aka Johann von Köln, as the name suggests, was originally from Cologne, Germany. He was active as a publisher, printer and bookdealer in Venice from 1471 on. In 1474, he partnered with fellow German printer, Iohann Gheretz, aka Johann Manthen de Gheretzem. (As per Johann von Köln’s entry in Deutsche Biographie, Gheretz stands for Gerresheim, a town near Düsseldorf.) Their bibliographic output was dedicated to scholarly works (philosophy, theology and law, amongst other topics) and they are purported to have published 84 titles as part of their contribution to the production of incunabula in the Venetian region.
The University of Ottawa’s copy is bound simply, perhaps in the eighteenth century, in vellum (on boards). Its only decorative element is a spine label in yellow morocco leather, upon which the title appears in gilt lettering. Typical of incunabula, space has been left around guide letters (letters introducing a new paragraph or page) for illumination or decoration by hand, but the Library’s copy contains no such illuminations. Interestingly, the title Ivstino VVigari has been written in ink across the fore edge of the text block. This would indicate that the title was originally stored flat on a shelf, with the spine label in yellow morocco (which would facilitate an upright storage of the text) being an addition of a later date. ARCS’ copy was obviously well consulted over time, as it is rife with handwritten marginalia in various hands. An armorial bookplate has been affixed to the first flyleaf. Unfortunately, the latter had been vandalized at some point and this ex-libris is illegible. As the bottom of this bookplate has a shelf mark or location written in by hand at its lower edge, one can assume this copy would have been part of a substantial personal or institutional library.

Justinus, Marcus Junianus

Johann von Köln

1477

D 58 .J8316 1477