212 - PLUTARCH (André) DACIER. Plutarch’s Lives of Illustrious Men. Revised based on the manuscripts and translated into French, with historical and critical notes, and the Supplement of Comparisons that had been lost. Included are the epigraphs that could be found, and a general table of contents. [8 volumes, followed by] The Lives of Illustrious Men Omitted by Plutarch...

PLUTARCH (André) DACIER. Plutarch’s Lives of Illustrious Men. Revised based on the manuscripts and translated into French, with historical and critical notes, and the Supplement of Comparisons that had been lost. Included are the epigraphs that could be found, and a general table of contents. [8 volumes, followed by] The Lives of Illustrious Men Omitted by Plutarch... Paris, Clousier, Gosselin, Coustelier, Paulus-du-Mesnil, 1721–1734, 9 volumes in-4 (12.3 kg). Light-colored veal leather with a grain pattern, ribbed spine, double gilt fillet panels decorated with foliage, fleurons, and small gilt ironwork, red title labels, red edges. (Contemporary bindings).—Slight water stain on the upper portion of 3 volumes; one title label is missing; 8 split clasps, 2 damaged caps; the rest of the spines, covers, and corners are in good condition. This translation of Plutarch by the philologist André Dacier is more accurate than those by Amyot or Tallemant, but its style is more austere. As early as 1699, the translator had published the content of his first volume—comprising five “Lives”—in order to gauge public opinion on how to proceed with his long and difficult undertaking. Madame Dacier is said to have translated two biographies. There are 40 medallion portraits; 18 others are left blank due to a lack of source material. The ninth volume, published thirteen years later, contains the lives of Thomas Rowe translated by Abbé Bellanger, namely Aeneas; Tullus Hostilius; Aristomenes; Tarquinius Priscus; L. Junius Brutus; Gelon; Cyrys; and Jason. This translation by Dacier was reprinted several times until the early 19th century, in various formats. (Brunet IV, 739—Quérard 7, p. 225—Graësse V, p. 368).