Homeric Epics and Typography: Beginnings and Dispersion
The transition from oral to manuscript tradition and the printing revolution constitute the two main metamorphoses of the original Homeric material. The arrival of many Greek scholars to the West after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 in tandem with pioneering printers resulted in the production of impressive Homeric editions throughout Europe, starting first in Florence (1488) and then in Venice (1504).
Ἡ τοὺ Ὁμήρου ποίησις ἅπασα ἐντυπωθεῖσα ἐν Φλωρεντίᾳ,
ἀναλώμασι μὲν Βερνάρδου καὶ Νηρίου Ταναΐδος Νεριλίου Φλωρεντίνοιν, πόνῳ δὲ καὶ δεξιότητι Δημητρίου Μεδιολανέως,
Κρητὸς ἔτει 1488 μηνὸς Δεκεμβρίου ἑνάτῃ.
Φλωρεντία: Δημήτρης Δαμιλάς και Bartolommeo di Libri, 1488-1489.
The first edition (editio princeps) of Homer’s works appeared in Florence in 1488 by the leading Greek scholar Demetrios Chalkokondyles (1423-1511) and by the printer Bartolommeo di Libri (fl. 1482-1511) at the expense of the Nerli brothers. The typographic characters were made from the dies brought by Demetrius Damilas (or Demetrius the Cretan, 15th century) from Milan to Florence. The copy belonged the collection of the Earl of Pembroke (1656-1733).
Joannes Gennadius managed to acquire it in 1914 at a remarkably high price.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. Homeri Ilias. Ὀδύσσεια, Βατραχομυομαχία.
Ὕμνοι λβ’. Ulyssea, Batrachomyomachia. Hymni XXXII.
Venetiis: Aldus, M. D. IIII [1504].
First of the three consecutive two-volume editions of the Homeric epics
by the well-known Italian humanist printer Aldo Manuzio (1452-1515).
The text reproduces, to a considerable extent, that of the first edition (editio princeps)
of 1488 and is printed in a handy pocket format.
Copy with original Aldine binding.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. Homeri Ilias. Ὀδύσσεια, Βατραχομυομαχία. Ὕμνοι λβ’. Ulyssea, Batrachomyomachia. Hymni XXXII. Venetiis: in aedibus Aldi et Andreae Asulani soceri, 1517.
Second edition of the Homeric epics by Aldo Manuzio. According to the French bibliographer Jacques-Charles Brunet (1780-1867),
the best and rarest of the three.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. Homeri Ilias. Ὀδύσσεια, Βατραχομυομαχία. Ὕμνοι λβ’. Ulyssea, Batrachomyomachia. Hymni XXXII. Florentiae: in aedibus haeredum Philippi Juntae, 1519.
Rare edition of the Homeric epics based on Aldo Manuzio’s
second one. Printed in Florence at the printing house
of the heirs of Filippo Giunti (1450–1517).
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάδος βίβλοι Α’ καὶ Β. Homeri Iliados
lib. I et II. Ὀδύσσεια. Βατραχομυομαχία. Ὕμνοι λβ’.
Ulyssea. Batrachomyomachia. Hymni XXXII.
Lovanii: Th. Martin, 1523.
Rare edition of the Homeric epics based on Aldo Manuzio’s second one.
Printed in Louvain by Thierry Martens (or Dirk Martens,
1446/1447 – 1534) in Belgium’s first Greek printing house.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάδος βίβλοι Α’ καὶ Β. Homeri Iliados
lib. I et II. Ὀδύσσεια. Βατραχομυομαχία. Ὕμνοι λβ’.
Ulyssea. Batrachomyomachia. Hymni XXXII.
Lovanii: Th. Martin, 1523.
Rare edition of the Homeric epics based on Aldo Manuzio’s second one.
Printed in Louvain by Thierry Martens (or Dirk Martens,
1446/1447 – 1534) in Belgium’s first Greek printing house.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. Homeri Ilias, id est, De rebus ad Troiam gestis. Parisiis: Typis regiis, apud Adr. Turnebum, 1554.
The first complete edition of the Iliad in France. Printed in Paris by Adrien Turnèbe (1512-1565). Admirable Greek miniature types “Les grecs du Roi”.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. Homeri Ilias. Ὀδύσσεια, Βατραχομυομαχία. Ὕμνοι λβ’. Ulyssea, Batrachomyomachia. Hymni XXXII. Venetiis: in aedibus Aldi et Andreae Asulani soceri, 1517.
Edition printed in Amsterdam by the printing house of the Elzevir family (Officina Elzeviriana, 1593-1712). Copy with coat of arms of Louis XIV.
Oἱ τῆς ἡρωϊκῆς ποιήσεως πρωτεύοντες ποιηταί, καὶ ἄλλοι τινές. Poetae graeci principes heroici carminis, & alii nonnulli. [Geneva]: Excudebat Henricus Stephanus, illustris viri Huldrichi Fuggeri typographus, 1566.
Monumental edition with works of ancient Greek poetry by the French printer, philologist, Hellenist, and humanist Henri Estienne (Henricus Stephanus, 1531-1598). An especially important work for Homeric literature.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. Ὁμήρου Ὀδύσσεια. Londini: Gulielmus Pickering, 1831.
Miniature edition of the Homeric epics. Printed in London by the English publisher and bookseller, William Pickering (1796 -1854). Copy printed on parchment.
Ὁμήρου Ἰλιάς. The Iliad of Homer, from the text of Wolf, with English notes and Flaxman’s designs.
Edited by C. C. Felton. Boston: Hilliard, Fray, 1837.
Edition of Iliad by Cornelius Conway Felton (1807-1862), professor of Greek literature and president of Harvard University. He was among the first to edit Greek authors for American college students. The work has illustrations of John Flaxman and was printed in Boston.