Ἀριστοφάνους Κωμῳδίαι ἐννέα / Aristophanis comoediae novem

Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1498. First edition, folio in eights, collating: π⁸,α-γ⁸, δ¹⁰, ε-ξ⁸, ο¹⁰, π-υ⁸, φ¹⁰, χ-Ε⁸, Ζ⁶, Η-Λ⁸, Μ⁴, Ν-Ο⁸, Π¹⁰, Ρ-Σ⁸, Τ⁶ (lacking the final T6 blank); guideletters in initial spaces; woodcut decorated headers and strapwork initials; 18th-century diced russia, later rebacking, gilt title on spine, gauffered edges, marbled endpapers; boards rubbed, bookplate of Joseph Stainton of Biggarshiells on pastedown, bookplate of book dealer Tammaro de Marinis on free endpaper, engraved bookplate of Collegium Beatae Mariae de Etona on bottom of title page, small Harvard Library blindstamp on title page, small tear at gutter of π2 neatly (truncated) repaired, dampstain to bottom right corner persisting through the entire textblock with varying degrees of intensity, scattered ink spotting on χ2, woodcuts on B2 filled in with pencil leading to offsetting on facing page, dime sized stain at the signature of I1 with some permeation to neighboring leaves, single wormhole through the first 120 leaves at upper fore-edge, not affecting text; about 2 dozen pages with marginal notes, some with a little loss due to trimming, catalog record for this copy tipped in. The editio princeps of Aristophanes, including nine of his comedies, compiled and edited by Marcus Musurus. Lysistrata was not included due to Musurus' inability to find a complete manuscript of the text in time for publication. BMC V, IB 24470; Goff A-958; ISTC ia00958000; GW, 2333; Ahmanson-Murphy 25; Ren. 16:3. (Inventory #: 69546)