M. Verrii Flacci quae extant. Et Sex. Pompei Festi de verborum significatione libri XX. Cum vetusto bibliothecae Farnesianae exemplari Romae nuper edito, collati. Paris, Arnold Sittart, 1584. [Bound with]: SEXTUS POMPEIUS . De verborum significatione fragmentum ex vetustissimo exemplari Farnesianae descriptum. [Geneva], Petrus Santandreanus, 1583
VERRIUS FLACCUS, (Marcus)
Printer's woodcut device at beginning of each work.
2 works in one vol. 8vo. Contemporary French calf gilt with gilt wreath in centre of covers, spine in compartments each with gilt monogram "D C G" and stamp of a shell and a fleur-de-lys. 1583
The surviving works of Verrius Flaccus, accompanied by the epitome of Sextus Pompeius. Most of the works are lost except for quotations and references to his thought preserved in the writings of others. De verborum significatione was his most important work, and is widely regarded as one of great value, containing a rich treasure of learning upon many points connected with antiquities, mythology and grammar; it was arranged in alphabetical order and quoted freely from earlier Republican authors and was itself extensively quoted from by scholars of the generations after the time of Verrius Flaccus.
The work now survives in an epitome by Sextus Pompeius Festus, which itself contains only the second half of the book (letters M-V), and is represented by a single manuscript (in the Farnese Library). In 1575, J. J. Scaliger produced a highly acclaimed edition in which he was praised for his success at completing blank portions of the Farnese manuscript, based on the evidence he extracted from glossaries and grammars. This was done with the help of the Farnese librarian Flavio Orsini. At the end of the 8th century an abridgment of the epitome of Festus was made by Paulus Diaconus, and this version covers the whole of the work.
The first work in this volume begins with what is termed the extant books of Verrius Flaccus, consisting of just a few passages contained on a few pages. There then follows the epitiome of Verrius Flaccus' work by Paulus Diaconus, 47pp. of notes by Flavio Orsini and annotations of various scholars including Scaliger. The second work is the epitome by Festus which reproduces the completion of the text by Scaliger. There is actually no mention of Scaliger's name in this edition, and prompted an angry outburst by Scaliger in his Villiomarus in 1586 in which he pointed out that Orsini was merely reproducing his 1575 edition without mentioning his name. He called Orsini "simia" (ape or monkey).
Verrius Flaccus was a first century BC freedman who became a distinguished grammarian.
Adams V590 & F390. Schweiger 354 & 1134. Smitskamp, Scaliger Collection, 60 & 61.
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