Title: The Historie of Quintus Curtius, Conteynng the Actes of the Greate Alexander, 1561. Third English Edition of Rufus’s Alexander the Great
Author: Quintus Rufus Curtius
Publisher: London, heirs of Richard Tottell
Condition: Good
A scarce mid 16th century and the third English edition of Curtius Rufus's history of Alexander the Great, the only Roman work on Alexander to survive. Written with dramatic flair, it follows Alexander from his march through Phrygia and cutting the Gordian knot.
The first four preliminary leaves and first main text leaf (A1-B1) are lacking, including the title, and have been provided in photocopy facsimile. The final blank HH4 is lacking as well. The main text is otherwise complete.
The contemporary blind stamped calf binding has been preserved, with some margins and corners of the covers restored, and the spine having been rebacked, and the remaining portion of original spine relaid.
ESTC records 12 existing copies in libraries, only within the United Kingdom and United States.
One finely bound volume in quarto, 226 of 227 leaves
This volume is in good shape, with some rubbing and wear to the original leather. There is extensive restoration to leaves B2, B3, and HH3, with some text loss, and marginal restoration elsewhere. There is a small burn hole to the outer margin of D4, affecting the last letter of a line, and a few gatherings with a small wormhole to the text. There is mottling and staining throughout.