Dio Cassius. Historiarum libri xxv, collation: ¶⁶, a-z⁶, aa-zz⁶, aaa-yyy⁶; [12], 792, [24] pp., Estienne's woodcut device on title, decorated initials at beginning of each book, head- and tail-pieces, some foxing and light water-staining, a few paper flaws, contemporary limp vellum with yapp edges, covers with large central fleuron and letters 'P N R' in gilt, smooth spine, title on lettering-piece (abraded), library shelf number at foot in gilt, soiled, some wear to corners, joints and yapp edges, folio (349 x 217mm.), [Geneva], Henri Estienne, 1592.

⁂ Second Estienne edition of the epitome of books XXXVI-LXXX of the Historiae Romanae, compiled in the 11th century by the monk Ioannes Xiphilinus on behalf of Emperor Michael VII. The work was first issued in 1551, from the Parisian press of Robert Estienne. In his preface to the 1592 edition Robert's son Henri mentions the previous edition published by his father on the basis of a Greek manuscript preserved in the Royal Library at Fontainebleau. In the Genevan volume the Greek text is now supplemented with its Latin translation, made by the German philologist Wilhelm Xylander, which first appeared in print in Basel in 1558. Some copies of this edition bear the imprint date 1591 on title.

Provenance: 'Merrifiled Library July 17. 1883' (ownership inscription on verso of front flyleaf); Newcastle-upon-Tyne public library (bookplates on front endleaves and ink stamp on title).

Literature: Adams D505 ("pagination, collation, and imprint as 1591"); Renouard, Estienne 155.5; Hoffmann I, 548 ("Auch Exx. mit 1592").