CHARISIUS, Flavius Sosipater Institutionum grammaticarū libri quinq[ue], ab Iano Parrhasio olim inuenti, ac nunc primum à Io. Pierio Cyminio Iani uditore, in gratiam adulescentium Cosentinorum editi. Naples Ioannis Sulsbacchij 1532
Folio. 124ff. A little staining, in eighteenth century limp boards, rebacked with vellum.
FIRST EDITION and, according to Manzi, unknown to most bibliographies. Charisius was probably born in Capua in the late fourth century and passed his adult life during the reign of Honorius – it is certain that he lived before Priscian and Rufinus of Antioch since both of them praise him in their respective works, Commentaria grammaticorum and Metra Terentiana. He was evidently the son of a freedman who had belonged to an eminent family of the Flavian gens and was brought up a Christian with a rounded education. His natural talent and his merits procured for him the post of Urbis magister while his free time was spent in composing, for his son, this famous grammatical work which, unfortunately, has come down to us incomplete. Further editions appeared in 1551, 1563 and 1602.Censimento CNCE 10982; Manzi, Annali di Giovanni Sultzbach, 13; Brunet I, 1802 ‘rare’; not in Adams; RLIN and OCLC locate the copy at Yale.
£1400
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