Platon

1634 · rif. 32 — Walderus' printing was the second edtion of the complete Plato in Greek. Printed in Basil 1534 it followed by two decades the Venice edition prinfed by Aldus in 1513. In those decades the Humanists Gyrnaeus and Oporinus had been at work on that text and comparing it with the oldest manuscripts. The Plato 690 pgs was part of job that also included a Commentary by Proclus 445pgs in addition to an index and supplementary materials. Plato and Proclus recieve seperate pagination but additionally and index and supplementary material amounting to about 36 pgs was printed as well. Printed on the stock of this particular copy and calculating the bulk resulting in a one volume quarto volume it seems a bit heavy and necessarily heavily lined Additionally Plato and Proclus are seperately paginated and the Supplementary unpaginated. The first printing of the complete run was bound in in three volumes. As the decades and the centuries passed Plato was often found bound seperately. This is the at least the second binding of that original printing and was done under the care of Residence Jesusits in Galway in the late 1800s judging from materials used.This binding contains no visible trace of any earlier bindings. At this time the text was attached to three stout cords and apparently also trimmed and edge sprinkle at that binding in the late 1800s.These cords are attched to a half goat or hide binding broken at the last panel and starting at corners but strong. It contains the complete 1534 Walderus Plato and the required 36 leaves unpaginated supplementary material and index. Bookworm damage! This damage occurs throughout the book little loss of text generally very light but a concentration in several square inch areas at some leaf edges. The good news is that the volume as it exists is stable and readable. The bad news is that although the pgs 98-118 are remarkably stable now only experienced people should handle this book: the wosrt locations are where damage in the outer margin results in lacy paper see image #7.Imo the lacing on those outer leaves can be stabilized in situ without much bulk with ultra light tissue- I was a restorer- but that is a task for a conservator or skilled binder Walderus hardcover