De Doctrina Platonis Liber
Very rare first editions (no copy in the U.S.A. (USTC)) of the Greek text and of the translation into latin
by Marsile Ficin given by Michel de Vascosan in December 1532 and 1533.
A beautiful copy preserved in a contemporary binding intended for Marcus Fugger (1529-1597),
the rival of Giovanni Battista Grimaldi.
Paris, 1532-1533.
2 parts in 1 volume 12mo of 101 pp., (1) bl. l., (32) ll.
Contemporary calf, triple blind filet on covers, gilt fleuron at center representing an arm holding a branch surmounted by a bird, corner florets, ribbed spine. Contemporary Parisian binding.
161 x 100 mm.
Alcinous. De doctrina Platonis liber. Graece et latine. Speusippi Platonis discipuli liber de
Platonis definitionibus. Xenocratis philosophi platonici liber de morte.
Paris, Michel Vascosan, 1533-1532.
Very rare first editions given in Paris by Michel de Vascosan in December 1532 for the greek version and in 1533 for the latin translation by Marcile Ficin.
Alcinoos the Philosopher is a Platonic philosopher, active around 150.
Jakob Freudenthal, German philosopher, identifies "Alcinous philosophus", Alcinoos the Philosopher, with "Albinus Platonicus", Albinos the Platonic. On the other hand, Joseph Whittaker tends to make one and the same person of Alcinoos the Philosopher, of Platonic tendency, and Alcinoos the Stoic, for “Since the 1st century B.C., Stoicism and Platonism have come so close that, without risking contradiction, it could be said of a philosopher that he is at the same time Stoic and Platonic.”
He is credited with a scholastic account of Platonic thought: Didaskalikos, translated by Pierre Louis under the title Épitomé then by Enseignement des doctrines de Platon.
Alcinoos was the first to expose the three ways of knowing God: negative way, analog way, eminent way.
Alcinous started to mix Aristotle’s opinions and Oriental ideas with Plato’s doctrine. (Dictionary of Philosophical Sciences, pp.48-49).
One of the famous bindings of Renaissance made for Marcus Fugger (1529-1597).
An elegant copy bound for Marcus Fugger (1529-1597).
Coming from one of the richest European families, Marcus Fugger, son of Anton Fugger, banker of Charles V, was himself a banker of the city of Augsburg and adviser to Rudolph II. His taste for books and splendid decorative bindings made him the rival of Mahieu, Grolier and Battista Grimaldi. Part of the collection passed into the family of princes of Öttingen-Wallerstein, was dispersed for public sale in Munich in the 1930s (Catalogue IV, Munich, 1935, no. 185).
Copies display as ex-libris, sometimes its initials, sometimes, as is the case here, its autograph signature on the counter.
“Exceptional association of a major text of European history and one of the most enviable origins of the Renaissance”.
USTC only locates 9 institutional copies of which none in the United States.
Very nice copy from the library of Marcus Fugger (1529-1597).
Its monogrammed signature in brown ink is found on the first flatcoat.
