JOANNES KINNAMOS (c. 1143 - c. 1185)

Joannis Cinnami imperatorii grammatici historiarum libri sex, seu De rebus gestis a Joanne et Manuele Comnensis [...]Accedunt Caroli Du Fresne, D. Du Cange [...] in Nicephori Bryennii caesaris Annae Comnenae caesarissae, & ejusdem Joannis Cinnami Historiam Comnenicam notae historicae & philologicae. His adiungitur Pauli Silentiarii descriptio sanctae Sophiae, quae nunc primum prodit Graece & Latinae, cum uberiori commentario. Parisiis, e Typographia Regia, curante Sebastiano Mabre-Cramoisy, eiusdem typographiae directore, 1670

§ Folio (440 x 300 x 60.); [22], 602, [32] pp., signature: ã1-6, ẽ1-4, ĩ1, A-Z1-4, Aa-Zz1-4, AAa-ZZz1-4, AAaa-IIii1-4 KKkk1-5. Large engraved coat-of-arms on title page, large engraved head- and tail-pieces, engraved initials, two engraved illustrations (a map of Constantinople and a profile of Hagia Sophia). Partially parallel Greek and Latin text. Contemporary red morocco, gilt coat-of-arms and fillets with decorative corners on both covers, gilt spine. 2 stamps and old ownership annotation (dated 1680) on title page, some browning / foxing as usual but a good / very good copy in a magnificent binding.

First complete edition of Joannes Kinnamos Byzantine chronicle, covering the years 1118-1176, during the reigns of John II (1087 - 1143) and Manuel I Komnenos (1118 - 1180), until Manuel's unsuccessful campaign against the Turks, which ended with the disastrous Battle of Myriokephalon (September 17, 1176). This chronicle had been originally created as a continuation of the Alexiad, written around 1148 by Princess Anna Komnene (1083 - 1153), daughter of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1048/1056 - 1118). The volume contains also the editio princeps of the description of the Church of Saint Sophia of Costantinople (Hagia Sophia), an ekphrasis of 1029 hexameters with a 134 iambic trimeters introduction by Paulos Silentiarios (d. 580 AD), recited at the second dedication of the building, in 562 AD.
This magnificent book is part of the celebrated series of 24 volumes, printed between 1648 and 1711, forming the Corpus Byzantinae Historiae.
The present copy preserves, almost intact, the original red morocco leather binding, with richly gilt back and gilt coat of arms of Marc-Antoine Mazenod (XVIIth century) on both covers. Mazenod was lawyer at the Parliament and at the royal court of Lyon. After his death, this volume, perhaps as well as a large portion of his library, became property of the Jesuit's College of Lyon, as it is stated by a manuscript note on the titlepage.
Ref: Brunet I, 1435 (14); Hoffmann II, 429; OCLC 314617783; OHR 1520 (for the coat of arms).