THE ARCHIMEDEAN RENAISSANCE - THE FIRST COMMANDINO-EDITION

ARCHIMEDES & FEDERICO COMMANDINO.

(Archimedes:) Opera non nulla à Federico Commandino Urbinate. Nuper in latinum conversa, et commentariis illustrata. Quorum nomina in sequenti pagina leguntur. + (Commandino:) Commentarii in Opera non nulla.

Venice, Paulus Manutius, Aldi F., 1558.

Small folio. Bound in a contemporary simple full limp vellum binding. Neatly rebacked (hardly noticeable) and binding with toning, a bit of soiling, and light spotting. Verso of last leaf browned, otherwise internally unusually nice, clean, and fresh, possibly washed. With the book-plate of Mr de la place de Mont-Evray to inside of front board and old ownership-inscription (August Biturie ?) to title-page. pp. 1v and 2r with elaborate marginal annotations and calculations in 16th century hand. (4), 55, (1) ff. + (2), 63, (1) ff. Large Aldus printer's device (dolphin and anchor - Cataldi Palau, Delfino 16) to both title-pages and to final leaf of both works. Lovely woodcut illustrated initials and many woodcut text-diagrams throughout. 


First edition thus, being the scarce and highly important first Commandino-edition of Archimedes’ works, with the first printing of Commandino's essential commentaries. This is also the second Latin edition of Archimedes’ work, varying considerably from the first Latin edition (Basel, 1544).

Federico Commandino himself was a highly skilled mathematician, and he also had access to a Greek manuscript of Achimedes writings not previously published. Thus, his edition of the Archimedean writings, including on measurement of the circle, spirals, quadrature of the parabola, conoids and spheroids, and the possibility of numbering the sands, together with Commandino's own lengthy commentaries, is of the utmost importance to the reception of Archimedes and is considered one of the absolutely most important Archimedes-editions to have appeared. "...[T]he so-called Archimedean renaissance ... gained further impetus from Commandino's rendering published by Paulus Manutius at Venice in 1558." (Stillwell 140, note ).

Adams A:1532 & C:2468; Renouard 173:3.

Order-nr.: 60231

DKK 105.000,00