Early edition of one of the very first travel guides, providing an extensive description of mainland Greece for travellers. Written in the 2nd century, it offers a wealth of knowledge about Ancient Greece, including its history, geography, and architecture, and has been exceptionally useful in the archaeological exploration of a number of ancient cities, like Olympia, Athens, Delphi and Argolis. The author was also the first to describe the ruins of Troy and Mycenae.
The present work is divided in ten books, which are each devoted to a different part of Greece. The work starts with a description of Attica, including Athens, and then discusses Corinthia, Laconia, Messenia, Elis, Achaea, Arcadia, Boeotia, Phocis and Ozolian Locris, primarily focussing on geography and art. The author describes the streets of each city he covers, but also sculpture, painting, and architecture, like the prehistoric walls of Tiryns, the theatre of Epidaurus, and the battlefield of Marathon. He was also interested in religion and describes rituals, popular superstitions, and myths, and transcribed or summarised hundreds of inscriptions on buildings and artworks, which would have been lost without him.
Pausanias (ca. 110-ca. 180) was of Greek origin and likely lived in Lydia in Asia Minor. Very little is known about him, except that he travelled in Greece, Egypt, Italy, and the Middle East. His description of Greece is his only work, and was written in Greek. It survived in only a few manuscripts, and was rediscovered in the 15th century. It was first printed in 1516 by the Aldine Press. The present edition, which is the 12th edition overall, is the first edition edited by classical scholars Wilhelm Xylander (1532-1576) and Friedrich Sylburg (1536-1596). The first part of the work contains the Greek text and the second part the Latin translation made by Romolo Amaseo (1489-1552) in 1547, which has been corrected by Sylburg for the present edition. The work further includes short descriptions of Greece by Strabo, Pliny, and Ptolemy.
With a later manuscript inscription on the front pastedown ("Jac. Rouern"), a longer inscription about the work on the recto of the first flyleaf, a name ("Fangol"(?)) on the verso of the first flyleaf, and another inscription about the work on the recto of the final flyleaf, marginal manuscript annotations throughout. The vellum is slightly dust soiled, especially on the spine, the tailband is somewhat loose, the overlapping part of the vellum is somewhat creased and bumped, the pastedowns are partially detached (the back pastedown with a large tear and lacking part of the top margin), revealing the detailed blind-tooled leather panels underneath. Some worm holes in the first few leaves, not affecting any text, the edges of the final few leaves are slightly frayed. Otherwise in good condition. Adams, P-522; Dibdin II, p. 272; Machiels P-153; VD16 P 1073; USTC 683342.