{1} Alexander Accaiolus, homo omnium humanissimus et doctrina insignis, quicquid Graece in hunc usque diem imprimendum curavimus emit a me tuo nomine. Quapropter, mi Marcelle, nactus occasionem statui ad te aliquid litterarum dare, quibus significarem me, ob singularem doctrinam tuam et bonarum literarum cognitionem, qua te non mediocriter praeditum a plurimis et quidem eruditis accepi, tuum esse ac cupere ut me uti velis familiariter si quid acciderit in quo mei tibi opera ac studio opus fuerit. Polliceor enim me ad omnia quae iusseris semper paratum.
{2} Sed quoniam quos a me tibi Accaiolus emit libros, minoris venundari, quod cum aliis quibusdam mihi communes erant, non potuerunt, tum, ut quae verbis polliceor re comprobem, meos solius Dioscoridem et Nicandrum cum Commentariis item Horas Graecas in Virginis Laudem mitto ad te muneri, quae apud te sint longum μνημόσυνον amicitiae nostrae. Vale, et me ama.
Venetiis xxvii. Octob. mccccxcix.
Translation
Aldus Manutius to his friend Marcello,
{1} Alessandro Acciaiuoli, the most humane of all men and distinguished in learning, bought in your name whatever we have taken care to print in Greek up to the present day. Because of this, my friend Marcello, I decided to use the opportunity to give a little of letters to you, with which I demonstrate that I am yours, because of your singular learning and knowledge of good literature, in which I perceive that you are extraordinarily gifted compared to many men—indeed compared to many educated men—and that I want you to make use of me as a friend if anything happens in which there is need for my works and learning. I promise that I am always prepared to help with everything you should want.
{2} But there were a few of those books which Acciaiuoli bought from me for you which were not able to be sold because they were common property with certain other friends of mine. To confirm in deed, then, what I promise with words, I send to you as a gift my only Dioscorides and Nicander with commentaries, and also Greek Hours in Praise of the Virgin: let it be a long-lived memorial of our friendship for you. Farewell, and love me.
Venice 28th October 1499.
Notes to the Translation:
Marcello Virgilio di Adriano Berti: was a translator of Greek texts and succeeded Angelo Poliziano as professor of poetry and rhetoric at the Studio Fiorentino.
Alessandro Acciaiuoli: the Acciaioli family was important in Florence.
To confirm in deed: compare Terence Andria 5.1.4-5 immo enim nunc quum maxime abs te postulo atque oro Chreme ut beneficium verbis initum dudum nunc re comprobes “Now as much as possible I ask and beg you, Chremes, that you confirm in deed the favor you made a short while back in words.”
Dioscorides and Nicander…Greek Hours in Praise of the Virgin: Pedanius Dioscorides was a 1st Century AD Greek doctor and author of De Materia Medica (On Medical Material). Nicander was a 2nd Century BC doctor and poet. He wrote Theriaca (Harmful Animals), a hexameter poem about venomous animals, and the Alexipharmaca (Antidotes to Poisons). Marcello was later (1518) to publish a Latin translation and commentary of Book 6 of De Materia Medica.
Greek Hours in Praise of the Virgin: this refers to a liturgical work, devoted to Mary, which contained Seven Penitential Psalms, the Athanasian Creed, and the Sacrifice in Praise of the Most Holy Virgin. It was published first in 1497, then again in 1505 with a Greek preface.
Long-lived memorial of our friendship: The Greek word here μνημόσυνον means memorial, and although rare in early prose can be found in Herodotus and Thucycides. It is, however, also a biblical word, and given the litergical work Aldus is sending he seems to be using a biblical register here.
Aldus writes to Marcello here and states that Alessandro Acciaiuoli bought the entire Greek corpus of the Aldine press, to which Aldus appends “a little of letters”, presumably in Latin. Some of the books that Accaiolus tried to buy Aldus was not able to sell, so he sends him a gift of some other Greek texts.
{1}Alexander Accaiolus, homo omnium humanissimus et doctrina insignis, quicquid Graece in hunc usque diem imprimendum curavimus emit a me tuo nomine. Quapropter, mi Marcelle, nactus occasionem statui ad te aliquid litterarum dare, quibus significarem me, ob singularem doctrinam tuam et bonarum literarum cognitionem, qua te non mediocriter praeditum a plurimis et quidem eruditis accepi, tuum esse ac cupere ut me uti velis familiariter, si quid acciderit in quo mei tibi opera ac studio opus fuerit. Polliceor enim me ad omnia, quae iusseris semper paratum.
{2}Sed quoniam quos a me tibi Accaiolus emit libros, minoris venundari, quod cum aliis quibusdam mihi communes erant, non potuerunt, tum, ut quae verbis polliceor re comprobem, meos solius Dioscoridem et Nicandrum cum Commentariis item Horas Graecas in Virginis laudem mitto ad te muneri, quae apud te sint longum μνημόσυνον amicitiae nostrae. Vale, et me ama.
Venetiis XXVIII. Octob. MCCCCXCIX.
Aldus Manutius to his friend Marcello,
{1}Alessandro Acciaiuoli, the most humane of all men and distinguished in learning, bought in your name whatever we have taken care to print in Greek up to the present day. Because of this, my friend Marcello, I took the opportunity to give a little of letters to you, with which I demonstrate that I am yours, because of your singular learning and knowledge of good letters, in which I perceive that you are extraordinarily gifted compared to many men—indeed compared to many educated men—and that I want you to make use of me as a friend, if anything happens in which my works could help you and there is need for study. I promise that I am always prepared to help with everything you should want.
{2} But there were a few of those books which Acciaiuoli bought from me for you which were not able to be sold because they were common property with certain other friends of mine. To confirm in deed, then, what I promise with words, I send to you as a gift my only Dioscorides and Nicander with commentaries, and also Greek Hours in Praise of the Virgin, which should be a long-lived memorial of our friendship for you. Farewell, and love me.
Venice 28th October 1499.
Marcello Virgilio di Adriano Berti was a translator of Greek texts and succeeded Angelo Poliziano as professor of poetry and rhetoric at the Studio Fiorentino.
{1}Alessandro Acciaiuoli: the Acciaioli family was an important family in Florence.
{2}To confirm in deed: compare Terence Andria 5.1.4-5 immo enim nunc quum maxime abs te postulo atque oro Chreme ut beneficium verbis initum dudum nunc re comprobes “Now as much as possible I ask and beg you, Chremes, that you confirm in deed the favor you made a short while back in words.”
{2}Dioscorides and Nicander…Greek Hours in Praise of the Virgin: Pedanius Dioscorides was a 1st Century AD Greek doctor and author of De Materia Medica (On Medical Material). Nicander was a 2nd Century BC doctor and poet. He wrote Theriaca (Harmful Animals), a hexameter poem about venomous animals, and the Alexipharmaca (Antidotes to Poisons). Marcello was later (1518) to publish a Latin translation and commentary of Book 6 of De Materia Medica. Greek Hours in Praise of the Virgin: this refers to a liturgical work, devoted to Mary, which contained Seven Penitential Psalms, the Athanasian Creed, and the Sacrifice in Praise of the Most Holy Virgin. It was published first in 1497, then again in 1505 with a Greek preface.
{2}Long-lived memorial of our friendship: The Greek word here μνημόσυνον means memorial, and although rare in early prose can be found in Herodotus and Thucycides. It is, however, also a biblical word, and given the litergical work Aldus is sending he seems to be using a biblical register here.
Neo-Latin Lab 