Laetus [Leto], Pomponius & Marcantonio Sabellico

Romanae Historiae Compendium

      Benardinus Venetus da Vitalibus, 1499, April 23. Marcantonio Sabellico, ed. and Vita Pomponii. 4to. 154 x 102 mm. [a]-p4 60ff. First Edition. 18th c. blind-tooled sheep with corner and central stamps, a bit bowed, with some worming to spine, spine banded, title on leather label; title in old hand on fore-edge, vellum paste-downs; some scattered wormholes (not affecting text); inner margin of [a]1 strengthened; marginal repair to a2; minor stains, early marginalia. Large decorated initials. “ Pomponius Laetus. Humanist, b. in Calabria in 1425; d. at Rome in 1497. He was a bastard of the House of the Sanseverino of Naples, Princes of Salerno...When very young he went to Rome and became a pupil of Valla. His brilliant capacities won him admiration and success. He wished to live the life of the ancients. His vineyard on the Quirinal was cultivated in accordance with the precepts of Varro and of Columella, and he was himself regarded as a second Cato. On holidays he went fishing or caught birds in his lime-twigs; sometimes he would simply spend the day in the open air, refreshing himself at a spring or by the banks of the Tiber. One of the most important and first known complete manuscripts of Plautus, that of Cardinal Orsini (now Vaticanus 3870), had been brought to Rome in the year 1428 or 1429. It was suggested that the plays it contained should be performed in the palaces of the prelates. Laetus became stage director of the performances. Finally, he and a few kindred souls, Platina, the future librarian of the Vatican, Sabellicus, afterwards prefect of the Library of San Marco of Venice, founded a semi-pagan academy. Its members assumed Latin names and celebrated every year the festival of the Palilia &emdash; anniversary of the foundation of Rome. They also met to commemorate a deceased member. A prelate celebrated Mass. Laetus delivered the eulogy. Latin recitations followed and a banquet closed every meeting. At other times, the members gave Latin farces much like the Atellanae. But Paul II, a pope who did