THEOPHRASTUS - THEOPHRASTOS - THEOPHRAST.

De Historia plantarum Libri VIII, Et Decimi principium De Causis, siute generatione plantarum, Libri VI. Theodoro Gaza interprete. Cum eorum omnium quæ his Theophrasti libris continentur, indice. (2 Parts).

(Colophon: Basel, apud Andream Cratandrum, 1534).

Folio. Nice hcalf from ab. 1750, richly gilt back, gilt title-label. Corners a bit bumped. Slightly rubbed. Woodcut printer's device to title and last leaf. (28),264,(2) pp. With many smaller and larger woodcut initials. Small stamp at lower corner of the first 2 leaves. Some, rather faint, dampstainings to first and last leaves, otherwise clean and with broad margins. Engraved book-plate inside front board (Bibliotheque du comte Le Moyne de Martigny).

Very scarce edition of Theophrastus' two main works. It is one of the earliest Latin editions of Gaza's esteemed translation, in reality it is the third printing of the first Latin edition (first issued 1483, then 1529 in 8vo, and now 1534) of the works which together constitute the foundation of scientific botany. By Linnaeus Theophrastus is called "the father of Botany".

This edition comprises both botanical works, The History of Plants and The Causes of Plants, which have survived in their entirety and are the earliest books of this kind in world literature.
"It is very strange that so much botanic knowledge should have been accumulated by the end of the fourth century and that so little, if anything, was added to it in ancient times. Theophrastos is not only the first botanic writer but also the greatest until Renaissance of the sixteenth century in Germany....The botany of Theophrastos and the zoölogy of Aristotle represents the climax of natural history in antiquity." (Sarton in A History...Vol. I p. 558).
"No study of plants of such breadth and quality had previously been conceived: botany now first appears as a distinct science with a comprehensive yet clearly defined field of enquiry." (A.G. Morton). - Stillwell No. 702 (Note) - Hunt No. 26 (listing the 1529-edition in 8vo) - Pritzel: 9189. - Not in Choulant, Handbuch der Bücherkunde für die Ältere Medicin.

Order-nr.: 29859