Publisher: Amstelodami [Amsterdam]: Daniel Elzevir, 1678.
Illustration: Engraved title-page depicting classical tragic scene
Edition: Elzevir edition
Binding: Contemporary full calf, spine gilt in compartments with floral tooling and title “SENECAE TRAGO.” Worn with loss at head and tail of spine, joints cracked, corners rubbed. Binding still holding though distressed.
Description: A compact and elegant Elzevir edition of the complete tragedies of Seneca, edited with the learned annotations of the celebrated English humanist Thomas Farnaby (1575–1647). Published in Amsterdam in 1678 by Daniel Elzevir, this volume belongs to the distinguished corpus of Elzevir classical texts prized for their clarity, typographic refinement, and portability.
The engraved title-page depicts a dramatic scene with tragic figures, a fitting prelude to the Stoic philosopher’s dark explorations of fate, power, vengeance, and the fragility of human fortune. Seneca’s tragedies — including Phaedra, Thyestes, Hercules Furens, Oedipus, and the pseudo-Senecan Octavia — profoundly influenced Renaissance and Baroque drama, shaping the works of Racine, Corneille, and Shakespearean tragedy.
This pocket-sized Elzevir edition with Farnaby’s notes provided generations of students and readers with both the Latin text and interpretive apparatus. Farnaby was one of the foremost English schoolmasters of the 17th century, and his notes remained authoritative for decades.
This copy is bound in contemporary calf, with gilt-tooled spine compartments and the original spine title. The binding shows honest wear, with losses to the leather at head and foot of spine and cracked joints, but the text remains clean and well-preserved. Its survival in unrestored state underscores its authenticity as a working scholar’s book.
Highly collectible as both a representative Elzevir imprint and a classical text of enduring significance, this edition offers the dual appeal of Dutch Golden Age printing and the Stoic tragedian whose works reverberated across European literature.
Condition: Fair. Binding worn with loss at head and tail of spine, cracked joints, corners rubbed. Interior generally clean, with occasional light toning. Text block sound. Engraved title-page with some age-toning but clear impression.
Annotation: Elzevir edition of Seneca’s Tragedies with Farnaby’s commentary; engraved title-page; contemporary calf binding.
Item #163
Price:
$1,200.00
