Oratione di Cicerone by CICERO, Marcus Tullius

Venice: Aldus, 1554. A Scarce Aldine
Cicero Defends his Friend, Titus Annius Milo

CICERO, Marcus Tullius. Oratione di Cicerone. In Difesa di Milone, Tradotta di latino in uolgare da Giacomo Bonfadio. Vinegia [Venice]: In Casa de figliuoli di Aldo [Aldus]; 1554.

First edition in Italian of Pro T. Annio Milone. Small octavo (5 7/8 x 4 in; 150 x 100 mm). [2], 38 pp. Title and preface in roman; main text in italic within a narrow column with wide margins. Aldine printer's device to title-page and verso to E6.

Contemporary limp vellum. Imperfect paper restoration to upper corner of preliminary leaf A2 with some loss of text to the first seven lines. Early inked ownership on title page later inked-out; one contemporary inked margin note, a few underlinings or margin marks. Final two leaves with worming to extreme gutter margin. Library shelf label to front paste-down endpaper. Withal, an excellent copy of a a rarely seen Aldine volume.

Scarce; only three copies recorded by OCLC.

The Pro Tito Annio Milone ad iudicem oratio (Pro Milone) was a speech written and delivered by Marcus Tullius Cicero in 52 BCE on behalf of his friend Titus Annius Milo. Milo was accused of murdering his political enemy Publius Clodius Pulcher on the Via Appia.

The preface is comprised of a letter from translator Giacomo Bonfadio to Count Fortunato Martinengo.

Adams C1893. Ahmanssom-Murphy 469. Schweiger II, 244. Renouard 161:14. BMSTC I, 180.