-
-
♔
Catalogue
-
♕
Collections
2
☙ Histoire Universelle - Tome VIII
1770 - Une Société de Gens de Lettres
The Histoire Universelle translated from the English is one of the most monumental publishing enterprises of the 18th century. Translated and considerably enriched from the British Universal History, it was published in 44 volumes by a society of men of letters whose collective... ☞ Read more
- Free delivery to your door in 🇺🇸 États-Unis
- Your price includes all duties, taxes, tariffs, and shipping to any address in 🇺🇸
- What you see is what you pay — no surprises at checkout or delivery.
Mark it for later — it might just be waiting for you!
☙ Histoire Universelle - Tome VIII
✑ Une Société de Gens de Lettres
HISTOIRE UNIVERSELLE, DEPUIS LE COMMENCEMENT DU MONDE JUSQU'A PRESENT; TRADUITE DE L'ANGLOIS D'UNE SOCIÉTÉ DE GENS DE LETTRES. TOME HUITIEME, CONTENANT L'ANCIEN ETAT DE L'ITALIE JUSQU'À LA FONDATION DE ROME. L'ITALIE, SON ANCIEN ETAT & SES PREMIERS HABITANS. LES ANCIENS ROIS D'ETRURIE, DU LATIUM, & D'ALBE. L'HISTOIRE DEPUIS ROMULUS JUSQU'AU GOUVERNEMENT RÉPUBLICAIN. L'ETAT DE ROME SOUS LES CONSULS JUSQU'À SA PRISE PAR LES GAULOIS. DEPUIS SA PRISE JUSQU'À LA PREMIÈRE GUERRE PUNIQUE. JUSQU'À LA DESTRUCTION DE CARTHAGE, SÉDITION DES GRACQUES JUSQU'À LA DICTATURE PERPÉTUELLE DE SYLLA.
The Histoire Universelle translated from the English is one of the most monumental publishing enterprises of the 18th century. Translated and considerably enriched from the British Universal History, it was published in 44 volumes by a society of men of letters whose collective identity remains partially obscure. This eighth tome, published in 1770, is entirely devoted to the history of ancient Italy and Rome, from the earliest times to the perpetual dictatorship of Sulla. The volume covers a remarkably broad chronological arc: the primitive state of Italy and its first inhabitants, the Etruscan and Latin dynasties, the legendary founding of Rome, the history of the kings, the establishment of the Republic, the wars against the Gauls and Carthage, the crisis of the Gracchi, and finally the rise of Sulla. In doing so, it offers an erudite and narrative synthesis of several centuries of Roman history, as conceived by Enlightenment intellectuals, steeped in ancient sources and driven by a universalist ambition.
Why add it to your collection?
- A volume entirely devoted to the origins and rise of Rome, from the Etruscan period to the dictatorship of Sulla — a subject central to the Enlightenment's fascination with classical Antiquity
- A direct testimony to how 18th-century scholars reconstructed and interpreted the major stages of Roman history, from founding myths to the Punic Wars
- Part of a 44-volume encyclopaedic set representing one of the most sweeping historical syntheses ever produced in Europe, the complete assembly of which is today exceedingly rare
- A work of strong documentary value for historians, Latinists and lovers of ancient history, offering a panoramic and reasoned overview of the Roman Republic at its height
- A fine 18th-century bibliophile object, with careful typography, period laid paper and page layout characteristic of French Enlightenment publishing
Description
Context of the Series The Histoire Universelle is the expanded French version of the Universal History published in London from 1736. The French edition in 44 volumes, appearing between 1742 and 1802, is considered the most complete and developed of all versions of this collective work. It engaged dozens of French translators, commentators and scholars, and constitutes a monument of Enlightenment historiography, midway between an encyclopaedia and a grand narrative synthesis.
Contents of Volume VIII This eighth volume approaches Italic and Roman history according to a plan that is both chronological and thematic. It opens with a description of the ancient state of Italy and its primitive populations, before examining the kingdoms of Etruria, Latium and Alba. Roman history proper follows, from Romulus and the legendary kings through to the transition to republican government. A large section is devoted to the Republic under the consuls, the sack of Rome by Brennus's Gauls, and then the Punic Wars that pitted Rome against Carthage. The volume concludes with the troubled period of the Gracchi and the dictatorship of Sulla, a pivotal moment in the decline of the Republic. Each section is developed with care, drawing on the ancient sources available in the 18th century — Livy, Polybius, Appian, Plutarch — while integrating them into a fluid and accessible narrative.
Physical and Typographic Qualities Like the rest of the series, this volume features careful typography characteristic of 18th-century French publishing. The laid paper, of fine quality, has aged well. Chapter headings, ornamental drop capitals and an airy page layout lend the work a formal elegance that makes it a beautiful collector's object independent of its content.
Value for the Collector Isolated volumes of the Histoire Universelle occasionally appear on the antiquarian book market, but their state of preservation varies considerably. A copy in a consistent period binding and in good overall condition represents a choice acquisition, whether to enrich an already-constituted set or to begin a collection focused on Roman history or 18th-century encyclopaedic publishing.
Mark it for later — it might just be waiting for you!
- Year
- ❧ 1770
- Century
- ❧ XVIII
- Author
- Une Société de Gens de Lettres
- Publisher
-
- Arkstée et Merkus, Amsterdam & Leipzig
- Ref #
- RMI-284
- Dimensions
- 105 mm • 205 mm • 35 mm
- Weight
- 480 gram
- Condition
- *** Good
➜