Le Antichita Di Beroso Caldeo. Sacerdote, et d'altri Scrittori, cosi Hebrei, come Greci, et Latini, ... Tradotte ... da M. Francesco Sansovino. ...

This is a rare or used book from the Berkelouw Rare Books Department.

Venice: Alto bello Salicato, 1583. Sm. 4to. Orig. full old sheep (extremities rubbed). (xvi, 112 double-paged pp.). With wood-cut engrv. title-vignette, and dec. initials. NOTE: 'The first really modern theorist of critical reading of historians, Nanni developed clear, coherent rules for evaluating the authenticity of historical sources' (Grafton). He further cloaked his 15th century fabrications in learned commentaries and even staged an excavation to 'discover' the famous edict of the Lombard king Desiderius written in an imitation of Lombardic script (here ff. 73-5) A good copy. Grafton, Forgers and Critics: Creativity and Duplicity in Western Scholarship; Hoffman I: 424.