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David Coster [artist]
Galeius Julius Phedrus was a Roman fabulist of the 1st century, a freedman of Augustus (an ex-slave who was freed) and author of 93 fables distributed across five books. As Fedrus himself states in the prologues of his books, his themes are taken from Aesop, although he also composes original fables inspired by the life and customs of his time. Fedrus's fables contain a harsh satire against the powerful who abuse their authority, against the proud, liars, and malefactors. His fables were a mocking assertion of the common people against the privileged, depicted from the most grotesque perspective. Fedrus, of servile origin, saw in this genre the possibility to express his convictions at a time when speaking freely was dangerous. Perhaps some of his fables were considered political satires because he was accused and sentenced to death during Tiberius's reign. Most of the fables are protagonized by animals, although some involve humans, and sometimes Fedrus himself appears to give the moral at the end.
Rare edition, printed in Leiden (Netherlands) in 1765 of Fedro's "Fables." Complete work in a volume containing the five books (chapters) of the Fables. Copy illustrated with a curious frontispiece engraving showing Fedro sitting in the countryside with pen and paper and in the background Aesop standing (seems to be dictating the text to be written), both surrounded by some animals from the fables. Original text in Latin. Beautiful binding with a 17th-century songbook on two-tone paper. Strong and solid. 14 x 8.5 cm, 120 grams. 98 pages + Index. Very rare edition by printer Luchtmans. The global OCLC catalog only records 7 copies in public libraries worldwide.
Phaedrus, Phaedrus Augustus Libertus of Aesop's Fables, Books V and an appendix of new fables. Leiden of the Dutch: published by Samuel and John Luchtmans, 1765.
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