Manuscript on parchment of 1) Plato, Phaedo, translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni and preceded by his prefatory letter to Pope Innocent VII. 2) Xenophon, Hiero (Tyrannus), translated into Latin by Leonardo Bruni and preceded by his prefatory letter to Niccolo Niccoli.
Description:
Binding: Between 1800 and 1810, Italy. Rigid vellum case with the title gold-tooled on a label on the spine: "Leon. Aret. Opus". Gilt edges and faint lettering on the head edge., Decorated in the early style of Gioacchino de' Gigantibus. On f. 1r a partial border in upper, lower and inner margins, white vine-stem ornament on blue, green and dark pink with grey dots on blue grounds, blue dots on pink grounds, and gold balls. In lower border, medallion framed by gold interlace bands and supported by two putti wearing red necklaces, with a coat of arms, now erased, on green ground. Four illuminated initials, 7- to 5-line, in gold, framed in yellow, on blue, green and red grounds, with dots as above. Initial on f. 1r, inhabited by standing putto wearing a red necklace, is joined to the border. Other initials have vine-stem decoration extending into the margins and terminating with groups of three gold balls. Headings and names of interlocutors in red., Purchased from L. C. Witten in 1954 by Thomas E. Marston., and Script: Written by a single scribe in a somewhat angular humanistic bookhand.
Subject (Name):
Hieron--I,--Tyrant of Syracuse,--d. 467 or 466 B.C, Innocent--VII,--Pope,--1336-1406, Niccoli, Niccolò,--ca. 1364-1437, and Plato
Subject (Topic):
Biography--To 500, Dialogues, Greek, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval--Translations, Manuscripts, Medieval--Connecticut--New Haven, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library, and Philosophy, Ancient