Saturnalium Sermonum libri duo, qui de Gladiatoribus
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Two treatises by Lipsius on gladiatorial spectacles and amphitheatres, freshly illustrated.
Lipsius, Justus
Saturnalium Sermonum libri duo, qui de Gladiatoribus
Bound with De Amphiteatro Liber (incl. De Amphiteatris quae extra Romam libellus)
1604, Antwerp, Apud Ioannem Moretum, ex officina Plantiniana
Second Edition
Overview
Two of Justus Lipsius’s most fascinating antiquarian works are bound together in a single volume, illustrated with finely executed engraved plates. The first work (Saturnalium Sermonum – De Gladiatoribus), here in second edition, accords a central role to gladiatorial spectacles during the Saturnalia, the winter festival associated with Saturn and marked by a temporary suspension of customary social boundaries. Lipsius examines the ancient sources describing these celebrations and treats gladiatorial games not merely as entertainment, but as a culturally significant expression of Roman public life. The second work (De Amphiteatro) complements this inquiry by turning from festival and combat to their physical setting, with close attention to architectural form and historical significance. The book is organized into two parts: the first devoted to the Amphiteatrum Titi, today better known as the Colosseum, a name that just began circulating in medieval times; the second addressing the amphitheatres of the provinces ("extra Romam"), including Verona in Italy, Pula in Croatia, and Nîmes in France. Together, the two treatises form a coherent investigation into Roman spectacle, social order, and the spaces in which they converged.
Inside the book
The two texts represent a mature phase of the Flemish humanist’s scholarship and are beautifully illustrated with plates that accompany the principal themes of the discussion. These engravings in the first book depict scenes of games with notable detail and expressive intensity. The very first image quite literally sets the table: it presents a Saturnalia feast, with laurel-crowned men barefoot and reclined around a table, while gladiators fight nearby. The second illustrates gladiators fighting while a funerary pyre burns, with spectators and a large crowd gathered behind them. Then follow representations of various types of combatants, classified according to nationality, weapons, or whether on horses or chariots, as well as women and little people. Finally, the fighting scenes move into the amphitheaters in the following images, with men and women in the stands, several fighters in the arena, and the fights becoming increasingly gruesome table after table. The focus of the second work shifts to the celebrated architectural forms that served as the stage for these spectacles and festivities, monuments whose mastery of design has allowed them, in many cases, to survive for nearly two millennia. Adding to the beauty of this edition, the text includes passages set in the Greek alphabet and in epigraphic style.
Why La Fenice chose it
Maximus Decimus Meridius, with a side dish of colossal architecture… it’s irresistible! Jokes apart: flipping through this book is like holding in your hands a very large slice of the Roman Empire, in all its glory and decadence. Extremely fresh plates open a direct window onto one of Rome’s most epic and controversial traditions, the gladiators, followed by erudite material on amphitheatres, another cornerstone of classical culture that has fascinated, impressed, and fueled the imagination of humanity for centuries.
Condition Report
Pp. [1] f.e., 136 + [4] double plate tables, [3]. Pp. 77, [6, incl. colophon], [1] folded plate, [1] double page plate, [1] r.e. + [1] folded plate. pp.
Early binding in full morocco, decorated with gilt ornaments and blind-tooled fillets. Traces of ties, probably restored in antiquity. Spine with four raised bands and gilt decoration. The binding, although sound, shows defects, including worn corners and, more notably, losses at the joints and at the head and tail of the spine. Small note inked at the title page in ancient times. For De Gladiatoribus: some underlining and a few contemporary marginal notes on the opening leaves. Four double-page tables (between pp. 20–21, 26–27, 104–105, and 110–111); four full-page plates within the pagination (at pp. 70, 90, 92, and 101); three half-page plates (at pp. 80, 87, and 97). Tear with loss at the lower corner of p. 97, touching the margin of the plate. For De Amphiteatro: one folding plate between pp. 34–35; one double-page plate outside the pagination (between pp. 64–65); five full-page plates within the pagination (at pp. 7, 68, 70, 76, and 77); one half-page plate (p. 32). The attractive antique binding shows defects, but remains overall solid and has preserved the freshness of the copy, which displays clean pages and sharp impressions of the engraved plates. Overall, a very good copy.
Dimensions (inches): 9 3/4 x 7 x 1 1/4
About the author
Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips): Flemish humanist, philologist and Neo-Stoic philosopher (1547-1606), professor at Leiden and Leuven universities.