Ailianou peri zoon idiotetos biblia 17 [Graece]. De natura animalium libri XVII. Cum animadversionibus Conradi Gessneri, et Danielis Wilhelmi Trilleri: curante Abrahamo Gronovio, Qui et suas Adnotationes adjecit. 2 vols.

London, excudit G. Bowyer, sumptibus Societas ad Litera Romovendas Institutae, 1744. With engr. title- and end- vignette, woodcut ornaments. Greek and Latin parallel text throughout. XIV, XXVII, (36), 603, (1); (605)-1128, (86) pp. 4to. Contemporary decorative red morocco, backs gilt in compartments, inner gilt dentelles, triple gilt fillets on border, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. London, excudit G. Bowyer, sumptibus Societas ad Litera Romovendas Institutae, 1744. First edition of this collection on zoology by Claudius Aelianus (c. 170-235), pontifex of Praeneste, and later Stoic philosopher and teacher of rhetoric at Rome under the Severi. He prefered to write in Greek, and the original text of De Natura Animalium is in that language. The Latin translation was done at a time when Latin seemed a reasonably universal language, and probably was used already by Gesner, Aelian applies the Stoic concept that underlying universal reason exists in all animal creation, to his analysis of human behavior as manifested in different historical characters. "An excellent and sample edition" (Dibdin I, 232). This London edition is based on the first critical edition by Conrad Gesner (1516-1565), and contains commentaries by D. W. Triller (1694-1775). He includes here for the first time some of Gesner's notes on Aelianus not published in his 1556 edition. Editor was the Dutch physician Abraham Gronovius (1695-1775). At least 20 editions were published between 1744 and 1760, a.o. in Basel (1750) and Tübingen (1768). -A beautifully fresh and crisp wide-margined copy in a full red morocco binding. - Brunet I, 61; Schweiger I, 2. CLASSICS ; HISTORY ; SCIENCE: ZOOLOGY ; SCIENCE:MEDICINE ;