At 11:35 AM 8/23/2002 -0400, I wrote: >... the situation is hopeless for anything beyond the >Carolingian period -- until c. 1470, when Virgil gets into print.
Looks like I spoke too soon. I've spent a couple of very happy days with Venier, and among the many topics he deals with in _Per una storia del testo di Virgilio nella prima eta\ del libro a stampa (1469-1519)_ is the character of "la vulgata umanistica" in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Of special interest are the interpolated verses that do not appear in Carolingian MSS. (including some verses that appear to derive, by way of a composite vita, from Servius auctus). See ch. 1, Osservazioni sulla tradizione manoscritta nei secoli XIV e XV. On the subject of Venier's book more generally, I mentioned its appearance in February and posted a translation of its contents (see below, with some additions). My first impressions were positive, and now that I've actually read the thing I'm happy to report that, on closer inspection, the book is every bit as good as it looks (and it is a very handsome little paperback). Needless to say, it's not a book for the incurious. Basically, it's an attempt to identify the manuscripts that stand behind the early printed editions. If this doesn't milk your goat, you should probably look elsewhere for mental sustenance. If, on the other hand, you have a miniature bust of Poliziano on your computer monitor, you will find much to savor. Matteo Venier, _Per una storia del testo di Virgilio nella prima eta\ del libro a stampa (1469-1519)_ (Udine: Forum, 2001). xxii+158 pp. Table of Contents: Preface Bibliographical abbreviations 1. Observations on the manuscript tradition in the 14th and 15th centuries - Codices examined - The "humanistic vulgate" [including the status of the Helen digression] - MSS. with interpolations drawn from Servius - MSS. copied from printed editions 2. Editions in print in the 15th century - The editio princeps edited by Giovanni Andrea Bussi - The Mentelin edition - Editions derived from the first Roman printing - The edition of Vindelinus de Spira and its progeny - The second Roman printing: the Medici codex and the Pomponian variants - The editions of Leonardus Achates 3. Virgil editions, 1500-1520 - The first Aldine - The second Aldine - The edition of Giovanni Battista Egnazio - The Giunt edition edited by Benedetto Riccardini [includes a fun account of where Riccardini got his info about the codex Romanus (Poliziano), how he handled it (irresponsibly), and what Valeriano had to say about him (nothing good)] - The third Aldine and some observations on the formation of a system of punctuation - Conclusions - Stemma of editions Appendix I: Corrections to the app. crit. in current editions (Ribbeck, Mynors, Geymonat) Appendix II: On discrepancies between the first and second Giunt editions Conspectus siglorum Index of manuscripts Index of Virgil editions Index of names -- This book was available for purchase earlier this year at http://www.libroco.it but I haven't checked back since the spring. If anyone knows where I can find a miniature bust of Poliziano, please email me privately. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- David Wilson-Okamura http://virgil.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] East Carolina University Virgil reception, discussion, documents, &c ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub
