The History of Polybius the Megalopolitan, First English Edition (1634)

POLYBIUS. The History of Polybius the Megalopolitan. Translated into English by Edward Grimeston, Sergeant-at-Arms to the House of Commons. London: Printed by Nicholas Okes for Simon Waterson, 1634. *** First edition in English complete with all called-for components of Polybius's Histories, translated by Edward Grimeston and printed in folio format a landmark in the transmission of classical political theory into the English-speaking world. Widely regarded as one of the most influential historians of antiquity, Polybius chronicled the rise of the Roman Republic and offered the earliest known analysis of mixed government, checks and balances, and historical causation ideas that profoundly shaped generations of political thinkers from Machiavelli and Montesquieu to the American Founding Fathers and helped define the broader Enlightenment tradition. *** Grimeston's vigorous and lucid translation produced while serving as senior parliamentary officer (Sergeant-at-Arms to the House of Commons), and deeply involved in the political life of early Stuart England marked the very first time Polybius's complete Histories appeared in the English language. Praised for its clarity and moral weight, this edition remained widely read and referenced for generations, standing as a lasting model of early modern English prose translation. *** This copy bears the imprint "Printed by Nicholas Okes for Simon Waterson, 1634" the standard and most collectible issue among the bibliographically distinct 1634 variants, all printed from the same setting of type and listed under STC 20099. *** Includes the decorative woodcut title border and the engraved folding plan (often lacking), and is internally very clean: light marginal damp-staining confined to the first and last few gatherings (not affecting text), and faint waviness throughout, as typical in folios of the period. Complete, with both the original initial and final blanks present a noteworthy survival rarely found in copies of this edition. *** Bound in contemporary calf boards, professionally and discreetly rebacked to match the period aesthetic. Boards show light rubbing but remain structurally sound and visually consistent. *** With the bookplate of the Fox Pointe Collection, Library of Dr. & Mrs. H.R. Knohl one of the finest American private libraries of early printed works, particularly known for its holdings in Renaissance literature and classical translations. *** A clean, well-preserved copy of the rare first English edition of Polybius, foundational for collectors of republican thought, early historiography, and classical reception in the English world. *** Dimensions: Folio (12.5 × 7.9 in; 31.9 × 20 cm). STC 20099. {This book ships from EU}.…