Lucretius, 1515

LUCRETIUS, Titus Caro (94-55 BCE). De rerum natura. Venice: Aldus Manutius and Andreas Torresanus, January 1515.

The second Aldine edition of Lucretius’s famous poem of ancient atomism—Aldus’s final book. Lucretius was the first of the Latin classic poets printed by Aldus, selected for both his elegance and his scientific appeal. This edition is newly edited by Navagero; thanks to him, Aldus writes in the preface, “Lucretius can finally be read with understanding.” Although the Epicurean outlook of De rerum natura has notably anti-religious undertones, its psychedelic vision of swerving atoms enchanted early modern readers, including Pope Sixtus IV. Intriguingly, no extant copies of the poem were made from the 9th century until the 15th, with Poggio’s rediscovery and copying of the manuscript known as p. In the age of print, editions proliferated, and this octavo format provided easy access to curious readers. UCLA 130; Renouard 74:11. See PMM 87 (1563 ed) and Ada Palmer, Reading Lucretius in the Renaissance.

Octavo (152 x 91mm). Woodcut printer’s device on title page and reverse of final leaf (occasional light dampstaining and some few stains). 20th-century stiff vellum. Provenance: Giorgio di Veroli (1890-1952, Italian financier and collector who fled to New York City during WWII; bookplate; his sale, Parke-Bernet, 28 February 1956, lot 529) – Kenneth Rapoport (bookplate).