22/12/2024
X is for...
Xenophon.
Not a name that trips off most people's tongues, but an important Greek author. He was a contemporary of Plato, student of Socrates, a general, philosopher and historian. This book gathers together some of his writings, together with the rhetoric of Isocrates, presumably to prepare young men both "en paix & en guerre".
This copy was printed in Paris in 1568, but the binding is much more recent. Together with the impressive gold edging to the pages, it was probably paid for by Luigi Carlo Maria Giuseppe principe di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, who also held the title of Conte di Aquila amongst many (many) others.
A younger son, he had a title but little responsibility, and was known as a collector, naturalist and artist. After falling out with his nephew, King Francis II of Sicily, he was exiled to France, and died in Paris. The binding of this book reflects his royal status, and even the silk bookmark has survived. The crest on the inside of the cover has the castle of the Spanish kingdom of Castile, as Charles III of Spain was one of his great-grandparents. The book is part of our Chandler collection, and while it shows few signs of being read, the shininess of the gold tells us that it was always kept in good condition.
