First edition of the history of Ancient Greece by Andries de Meester (d. 1611). An Antwerp minister of the Protestant church from about 1568, who fled to Frankfurt, Germany when Antwerp fell to Spain in 1585, and remained there until he was called as minister to Dordrecht in 1594. A tolerant man, he was highly esteemed but had to leave his office in 1609 due to poor health. His son Daniel succeeded him.
The present work treats the rise and fall of the Greek empire, from the Persian wars to Alexander the Great, and is dedicated to the States General of the Dutch Republic. De Meester intended it as an example for the Dutch, to inspire them with the courage of the Greeks and urge them not to commit the same errors. To facilitate reading, the important passages are marked with a woodcut pointing hand in the margin. Also of interest is the large, detailed map by Joannes van Doeticum, representing Italy, Sicily, Greece and a part of Asia.
Demetriuss Greek history proved a success and Canin published a French translation in 1602 (the privilege names Canin, though the imprint merely says Dordrecht). Canin also published De Meesters Dutch translation of Guicciardini's Italian wars in 1599.
Good copy of a rare book, with bookplate of J.A. van Praag on the front paste-down. STCN 831657006; Typ. Batava 3399; USTC 424390; cf. Simoni M70 (French ed.); not in Adams.