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1 of 253523 objects
Thesauros tes Hellenikes glosses = Thesaurus Graecae linguae / ac Henrico Stephani constructus; v. II 1572
40.5 x 8.5 cm (book measurement (inventory)) | RCIN 1071733
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Henri Estienne was a French printer based in Geneva from 1551 following his family’s flight from Paris due to their Protestant faith. Assuming control of his father’s press in 1559, Estienne began to produce high-quality editions of classical texts, dictionaries and Bibles.
In 1572, Estienne published this, his most significant work, the Thesaurus graecae linguae, a Greek thesaurus. The work was a companion to his father’s Latin thesaurus and remained the most important lexicography of the Greek language for the next three centuries. Despite its importance, the five-volume set was very expensive and did not sell well, necessitating Estienne to publish a smaller abridged edition. The Royal Library’s set was formerly in the possession of the comtes de Brienne until the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. It was later acquired by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, a prominent philhellene and founder of the Ionian Academy, the first university to be established in Greece since antiquity.
Provenance
Formerly in the collection of the comtes de Brienne, likely bound for Louis-Henri de Loménie de Brienne (1636-98) or his son André-Louis (1657-43). Then in the possession of Louis-Marie-Athanase de Loménie de Brienne (1730-94) or his brother, the cardinal-minister Charles-Etienne (1727-94). Collection dispersed as a result of the French Revolution. Acquired for the library of Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford. Acquired for the Royal Library by William Nicol at the sale of Guilford's collection on 17th Dec 1835 as one of a four-volume set: Lot 1587, Price £2 12s 6d for all four volumes.
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Measurements
40.5 x 8.5 cm (book measurement (inventory))
Category
Place of Production
Geneva [Switzerland]