Διογένους Λαερτίου περὶ βίων, δογμάτων καὶ ἀποφθεγμάτων τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εὐδοκιμησάντων, βίβλια ί. De vitis, dogmatis & apophthegmatis [...]

Full title: Διογένους Λαερτίου περὶ βίων, δογμάτων καὶ ἀποφθεγμάτων τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εὐδοκιμησάντων, βίβλια ί. De vitis, dogmatis & apophthegmatis eorum qui in philosophia clarverunt, libri X, in quibus plurimi loci integritati suae ex multis vetustis codicibus restituuntur, & ij quibus aliqua deerant, explentur; cum annotationibus Henr. Stephani [Bound with] Pythag. philosophorum fragmenta, cum latina interpretation.

8vo. pp. [4] (blank), 8, 494, [2] (blank), 40, 432. Signatures: a⁴, a-z, A-H, aa-bb⁸, cc⁴, A-Z, Aa-Dd⁸ (H⁸ blank, Ziiii numbered Xiiii). Contemporary vellum. Printer's device on title page. Foliated initials; headpieces. Text in Greek and Latin.

"De vitis" was first translated into Latin by St. Ambrose of Camaldoli, Phythagoras and Pythagoreans by Gulielmus Canterus. This first Estienne edition is the second in Greek, much enlarged by Estienne's discoveries. It was the source for many traditional forgeries, including the spurious classical ‘epistolae’ (cf. Bib# 4911590 /Fr# 16 in this collection), and the ‘travel liar’ Euhemerus or Evemerus (cf. Bib# 4102573/Fr# 8 in this collection). See H. M. Adams, Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe, 1501-1600, in Cambridge Libraries. 2 vols. Cambridge, 1967, D 482 ; A. Freeman, “Hoax and Forgery, Whimsy and Fraud: Taxonomic Reflections on the Bibliotheca Fictiva,” in W. Stephens & E. Havens (eds.), Literary forgery in early modern Europe, 1450-1800, Baltimore, 2018, p. 18, 25.

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