Almagestum seu Magnae Constructionis Mathematicae opus plane divinum Latina donatum lingua ab Georgio Trapezuntio...per Luca Gauricum...recognitum..
by PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
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About This Item
Printer's device in red on title & numerous woodcut diagrams in the text. Title printed in red & black. 6 p.l., 143 numbered leaves. Folio, most attractive early 18th-cent. mottled half-sheep & mottled boards (head of spine a bit worn, title a little browned), spine gilt, red & green morocco lettering pieces on spine. Venice: L. Giunta, 1528. First edition of the first translation of the Almagest from the original Greek. Previously Ptolemy's great astronomical text was available only in the 12th-century translation of Gherardo da Cremona from an Arabic translation (1st ed.: 1515). The present translation was made directly from the Greek in 1451 by George of Trebizond, using a manuscript in the Vatican; this translation was edited for publication by Luca Gaurico. The original Greek text was not published until 1538. The Almagest was the foundation of ancient astronomy and a work as influential as the Elements of Euclid. "Ptolemy's chief work in astronomy, and the book on which his later reputation mainly rests, is the Almagest...It is a manual covering the whole of mathematical astronomy as the ancients conceived it...the Almagest is a masterpiece of clarity and method, superior to any ancient scientific textbook and with few peers from any period."-D.S.B., XI, pp. 187 & 196. "Among the instruments mentioned or described in the Almagest are the equatorial armillary for determining the equinoxes at Alexandria; the plinth and the meridional armillary for determining the midday and meridian altitude of the sun; the triquetrum for measuring meridian transits of the moon or fixed stars; and the armillary astrolabon."-Stillwell 97. A very fine and crisp copy with the early 18th-century bookplate of "Co. Riccati." This was the noble Riccati family which held land near Venice. The family produced two prominent scientists: Jacopo Francesco (1676-1754) and his second son Vincenzo (1707-75). They both made important contributions to mathematics (see D.S.B., XI, pp. 399-402). ❧ Sparrow, Milestones of Science, 167.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5482
- Title
- Almagestum seu Magnae Constructionis Mathematicae opus plane divinum Latina donatum lingua ab Georgio Trapezuntio...per Luca Gauricum...recognitum..
- Author
- PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
Terms of Sale
Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.
5 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 5 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.
Biblio member since 2009
New York, New York
About Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.
By appointment
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Crisp
- A term often used to indicate a book's new-like condition. Indicates that the hinges are not loosened. A book described as crisp...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Folio
- A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....