NEPOS, Cornelius — Cornelii Nepotis Excellentium Vitae

1809. MAYBE, MAYBE NOT [NEPOS, Cornelius]. CORNELII NEPOTIS EXCELLENTIUM VITAE. NOVI EBORACI [i.e. New York]: Exeudebat Gul. A. Davis, Impensis E. Duyckinck, 1809. EDITIO PRIMA AMERICANA on title-page. 156 pp. 14.5 x 9.5 cm. Small 12mo. contemporary leather binding, a bit scuffed, with upper joint cracked, but sound. Boston bookseller's label (R. P. & C. Williams) on front pastedown and an early ink owenership, dated 1825, on ffep. Text pages lightly age-toned. A collection of brief biographies of classical Greek and Roman military and political leaders, and some other contemporaries. Text entirely in Latin. Nepos, a correspondent and fried of Cicero, was the earliest biographer to write in Latin. (Shaw & Shoemaker 18175). Although it claims to be the 1st American edition on the title page, there were earlier editions published in numerous American cities with English language translations, unless it is the first edition prepared and printed in the U.S. and that the others were reprints of European editions. OCLC lists on 15 copies. .