De vita XII Caesarum [manuscript], ca. 1470? / C. Suetonii Tranquilli.
Suetonius, ca. 69-approximately 122, author.; Ausonius, Decimus Magnus.; Drury, Henry, 1778-1841, former owner.; Allen, Henry Ellis, 1807 or 1808- former owner.; Smedley, William T. (William Thomas), 1851-1934, former owner.; Folger, Henry Clay, 1857-1930, former owner.; Folger, Emily C. J. (Emily Clara Jordan), 1858-1936, former owner.
Items
Linked e-resources
Linked Resource
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library V.b.40
Details
Title
De vita XII Caesarum [manuscript], ca. 1470? / C. Suetonii Tranquilli.
Uniform title
De vita Caesarum
Description
107 leaves ; 285 x 210 mm
Associated name
Suetonius, ca. 69-approximately 122, author.
Ausonius, Decimus Magnus.
Drury, Henry, 1778-1841, former owner.
Allen, Henry Ellis, 1807 or 1808- former owner.
Smedley, William T. (William Thomas), 1851-1934, former owner.
Folger, Henry Clay, 1857-1930, former owner.
Folger, Emily C. J. (Emily Clara Jordan), 1858-1936, former owner.
Ausonius, Decimus Magnus.
Drury, Henry, 1778-1841, former owner.
Allen, Henry Ellis, 1807 or 1808- former owner.
Smedley, William T. (William Thomas), 1851-1934, former owner.
Folger, Henry Clay, 1857-1930, former owner.
Folger, Emily C. J. (Emily Clara Jordan), 1858-1936, former owner.
Material base
Manuscript on large imperial size paper.
Summary
Contains Suetonius' Lives of the Twelve Caesars, preceded by an epigram on Julius Caesar by fourth century Roman poet, Ausonius.
Language Note
In Latin with Latin and Greek marginalia.
Note
Manuscript codex.
Title from opening rubric (leaf 1r).
Collation: Leaves ii + 107 + ii; 1-10¹⁰ 11⁸(-1); with horizontal catchwords.
Layout: Written in 33 long lines (dimensions of written space: 190 x 125 mm); above first line; machine-ruled, with horizontal lines in ink and vertical lines in lead; marginal notes in Greek and Latin throughout.
Script: Written in a very high quality western-style Greek hand.
Decoration: Decorated initial framed in gold (leaf 1r).
Decoration: Penwork initials for each chapter alternate in red and blue ink.
Origin: Written in Italy, ca. 1470 (De Ricci).
Shelfmark: Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, MS V.b.40.
Title from opening rubric (leaf 1r).
Collation: Leaves ii + 107 + ii; 1-10¹⁰ 11⁸(-1); with horizontal catchwords.
Layout: Written in 33 long lines (dimensions of written space: 190 x 125 mm); above first line; machine-ruled, with horizontal lines in ink and vertical lines in lead; marginal notes in Greek and Latin throughout.
Script: Written in a very high quality western-style Greek hand.
Decoration: Decorated initial framed in gold (leaf 1r).
Decoration: Penwork initials for each chapter alternate in red and blue ink.
Origin: Written in Italy, ca. 1470 (De Ricci).
Shelfmark: Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, MS V.b.40.
Contents
Leaves 1r-107v: [rubr.] "C[aii] Suetonii Tranquilli de vita XII Caesarum. Liber I, D[ivus] C[aius] Iulius Caes[ar] Imp[erator]. Incipit versus Ausonii in libros C[aii] Suetonii. [Main text preceded by the epigram:] Caesarios proceres inquos regna secundis [sic] / Consulibus dudum romana potencia cessit ... [text] Annum Iulius Caesar agens sextum decimum patrem amisit; sequentibusque consulibus flamen Dialis destinatus dimissa Corsutia ... nonnulli semet eodem illo pugione, quo Caesarem uiolauerant, interemerunt. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber I explicit. [leaf 16r: rubr.] Incipit II D[ivus]. Octavianus Augustus Caesar. [text] Gentem Octauiam Velitris praecipuam olim fuisse multa declarant. Nam et vicus celeberrima parte ... Adiecit et Libertorum seruorumque nomina, a quibus ratio exigi posset. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber II explicit. [leaf 37r: rubr.] Incipit III eiusd[em] Tiberius Caesar. [text] Patricia gens Claudia. Fuit enim et alia plebeia, nec potentia minor nec dignitate, orta est ex rigillo oppido Sabinorum ... militibus uniuersis plebeique Romanae uiritim atque etiam separatim uicorum magistris. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber III explicit. [leaf 51r: rubr.] Incipit IIII C. Calicula. [text] Germanicus, C. Caesaris pater, Drusi et iunioris Antoniae filius, a Tiberio patruo adoptatus ... quibus Cai prenomen fuit, ferro perisse, iam inde ab eo, qui Annanio temporibus sit occisus. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber III[I] explicit. [leaf 63r: rubr.] Incip[it] V D[ivus] Claudius Caes[ar]. [text] Partem [sic] Claudii Caesaris Drusum, olim Decimum mox Neronem prenomine, Liuia, cum Augusto grauida nupsisset ... quanquam abhominantibus qui audiebant, semel atque iterum pronuntiauit. [leaf 73r: rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber V explicit. [text] Incipit VI Nero Claudius Caes[ar]. [text] Ex gente Domitia due familiae claruerunt, Caluinorum et Enobarborum ... tam fauorabile nomen apud Parthos fuit, ut vehementer adiutus et vix red[d]itus sit. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber VI explicit. [leaf 85r: rubr.] Incip[it] VII Sergius Galba Imp[erator]. [text] Progenies Caesarum in Nerone defecit; quod futurum cumpluribus [sic] quidem signis ... sed decretum Vespasianus aboleuit, percus[s]ores sibi ex Hispania in Iudeam submisisse opinatus. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber VII explicit. [leaf 89v; rubr.] Incip[it] VIII Silvius Otho Imp[erator]. [text] Maiores Ottonis orti sunt oppido Ferentino, familia vetere et honorata atque ex principibus Etrurie ... Galbam ab eo non tam denominandi quam rei publice ac Libertatis restituende causa interemptum. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber VIII explicit. [leaf 92r: rubr.] Incip[it] VIIII Vitelius A. Imp[erator]. [text] Vitelliorum originem alii aliam et quidem diuersissimam tradunt, partim ueterem et nobillem [sic] ... ab Antonio primo aduersarum partium duce oppressus est, cum Tolose nato cognomen in puericia Becco fuerat: id uallet [sic] gallinacii rostrum. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber VIIII explicit. [leaf 95v: rubr.] Incipit X D[ivus] Vespasian Imp[erator] Aug[ustus]. [text] Rebellione trium principum et caede incertum diu et quasi uagum Imperium suscepit firmauitque ... quando totidem annis parique temporis spacio utrique imperauerunt. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber X explicit. [leaf 100r: rubr.] Incipit D[ivus] Titus Imp[erator] Aug[ustus]. [text] Titus, cognomine paterno, amor ac dilitiae [sic] generis humani, tantum illi ad promerendam omnium uoluntatem ... tantas mortuo gratias egit laudesque congessit, quantas nec uiuo quidem umquam atque praesenti. [rubr.] C. Seuton[ii] Tranq[uilli] de vita XII Caesarum. Liber XI expl[icit]. [leaf 102v: rubr.] Incipit XII ultimque Domitianus Imp[erator]. [text] Domitianus natus est nonum kal. Novembr. patre consule designato inituroque mense sequenti honorem ... sicut sane breui euenit abstinentia et moderacione insequentium principum." (C. Suetoni Tranquilli de vita Caesarum libri VIII / edited by Maximilian Ihm. 1907.)
Binding information
Bound in 18th century burnished calf with gold tooling; on spine in gold: Suetonius Tranquillu -- Codex Chartaceus; gilt edges.
Provenance
Formerly owned by Rev. Henry Drury; Henry Allen (Henrici Alani--bookplate); and W.T. Smedley.
Source of acquisition
Purchased as part of the Smedley Collection in 1924 by Henry Clay Folger.
Cited/described in
Ricci, S. de. Census of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the United States and Canada, SM.16
Linked resources
Digital image(s) of Folger Shakespeare Library V.b.40
Place of creation/publication
Italy.
Item Details
Call number
V.b.40
Folger accession
Smedley 16