Poesis Philosophos. Red morocco, gilt decorated spine, gilt borders, 5 raised bands - 1573

Poesis Philosophica, Vel saltem, Reliquiae poesis philosophicae, Empedoclis, Parmenidis, Xenophanis, Cleanthis, Timonis, Epicharmi. Aiuncta sunt Orphei illius carmina qui a suis appellatus fuit oTheologos. Item, Hercliti et Democriti loci quiddam, & eorum epistolae.

8vo. Bound in 18th century red morocco, gilt decorated spine, gilt borders, 5 raised bands, aeg. Geneva, Henri Estienne 1573. First Edition.

Bound with: Ek ToN / Aristotelous Kai Theophrastou. Aristotelis et Theophrasti scripta quaedam, quae vel nunquam antea, vel minus emendate quam nunc, edita fuerunt. Geneva, Henri Estienne 1557. First Edition.

Poesis Philosophica contains the first appearance in print of almost all of the Presocratic philosophers, from Plato through Holderlin, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Derrida. These includes the editiones principes of Parmenides, Heraclitus, Cleanthes, Empedocles, Xenophanes, Timon Syllagraphus, and Epicharmes. It also contains the Orphic Hymns and works by Democritus. It is of major importance to the history of Western thought.

Scripta Quaedam contains editiones principes of works by Theophrastus and Aristotle in Greek, as well as the complete text of the immortal Characters of Theophrastus, one of the most influential literary texts in Western history. These two are of the rarest and most desirable works produced by the Estienne Press, the greatest scholar-printers. The Estiennes produced the most significant Latin and Greek Bibles after the principes, as well as editions of Plato, Homer, Plutarch, Cicero and Herodotus that continue, in many respects, to be the standard 450 years later. Above this achievement, the Estiennes produced a series of editiones principes in Greek and Latin that can be rivalled only by the Aldine Press.

With 18th century bookplate of W Burrel on the verso of the title of the Poiesis, and his small stamp on the title of the Scripta Quaedam; plus 3 additional bookplates. Complete except for 2 blank leaves in the Poiesis. Mild rubbing to spine and corners of binding; light toning to title page of the Poiesis, caused by Burrel bookplate; some minor toning; o/w a Fine Copy.