☙ Civilisation grecque

1959 - André Bonnard

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☙ Civilisation grecque

✑ André Bonnard

CIVILISATION GRECQUE DE L'ILIADE AU PARTHÉNON

This 1959 hors commerce edition represents the first volume of the monumental trilogy "Civilisation grecque" by André Bonnard, one of the greatest French-language Hellenists of the 20th century. Published by the prestigious Guilde du Livre of Lausanne, this exclusive edition was reserved for members of this Swiss bibliophile society, ensuring a limited print run and impeccable editorial quality. Bonnard, professor at the University of Lausanne, offers here a revolutionary approach to ancient Greece, combining philological erudition and humanistic sensitivity. This first volume covers the foundational period of Greek civilization, from the Homeric universe to the zenith of classical Athens symbolized by the Parthenon. The work is distinguished by its ability to make the complexity of Greek thought and society accessible while maintaining exemplary scientific rigor. Bonnard does not merely paint a historical picture: he analyzes the social structures, artistic creations, philosophical thought, and values that shaped this civilization. This edition remains a precious testimony to postwar European scholarship and the intellectual vitality of French-speaking Switzerland.

Why add it to your collection?

Exclusive hors commerce edition reserved for members of the Guilde du Livre, limited and sought-after printing

Masterful work by André Bonnard, great Swiss Hellenist of the 20th century, essential reference

First volume of a fundamental trilogy covering all of ancient Greek civilization

Exceptional editorial quality characteristic of Guilde du Livre Lausanne publications

Precious testimony to Swiss Romand intellectual and cultural life of the 1950s

Description

The Author and His Work

André Bonnard (1888-1959) was one of the major intellectual figures of French-speaking Switzerland in the 20th century. Professor of Greek literature at the University of Lausanne from 1919 to 1958, he devoted his life to the study and transmission of the Hellenic heritage. A committed leftist intellectual, close to progressive circles, Bonnard brought to his classical studies a social and humanistic dimension that profoundly renewed the approach to Greek antiquity. His trilogy on Greek civilization, of which this volume constitutes the first tome, represents the culmination of forty years of research and teaching.

Content and Structure of the Volume

This first volume opens with the Homeric universe, analyzing the Iliad and Odyssey not only as literary works but as historical and sociological documents. Bonnard examines the archaic aristocratic society, its warrior values, family structures, and conceptions of honor. He continues with the emergence of the city-state, the birth of Athenian democracy, and the cultural flourishing of the 5th century. The work culminates with the study of the Parthenon, architectural and spiritual symbol of classical civilization. Each chapter combines rigorous textual analysis, historical contextualization, and philosophical reflection, offering a global and coherent vision of this foundational period.

The Guilde du Livre Edition

The Guilde du Livre, founded in Lausanne in 1936, was a prestigious book club that offered its members carefully produced editions of literary and scholarly works. The "hors commerce" editions like this one were not intended for public sale but distributed exclusively to subscribers, thus creating limited print runs highly sought after today by collectors. The typographic quality, choice of paper, and binding testify to the care given to these publications. This 1959 edition represents the Guild's commitment to the dissemination of classical culture and Swiss intellectual production.

Historical and Bibliophilic Importance

This work occupies a particular place in the history of French-language Hellenism. Published at the end of Bonnard's life, it synthesizes decades of reflection and fits into the intellectual context of the postwar period, a time when classical humanities were being reexamined in light of the catastrophes of the 20th century. Bonnard's approach, which emphasizes the social and human dimensions of Greek civilization rather than purely formal erudition, influenced an entire generation of teachers and researchers. For collectors, this edition presents a double interest: that of a reference text signed by an undisputed master, and that of a rare bibliophilic object, testifying to an era when book societies played a major cultural role in the French-speaking world.

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