Suda: Lexicon graecum [Greek]

Edited by Demetrius Chalcondylas.

Milan:  Johannes Bissolus and Benedictus Mangius, for Demetrius Chalcondylas, 15 Nov. 1499.
Fol.   α-ω8 ααα-λλλ8 Α-Ω8 ΑΑ-ΔΔ8 ΕΕ-ΖΖ6.   [516] leaves.
Woodcut printer’s device.
ISTC is00829000; GW M44268; Goff S829; BMC VI 792 (IC. 26915); Bod-inc S-333; CIBN S-495; BSB-Ink S-606.


The Suda (or Souda) is the title of a 10th-century Byzantine encyclopaedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, erroneously attributed to an author called “Suidas”.

Three copies held by the University of Glasgow

Copy 1

GIP number: S58/1
Shelf-mark: Sp Coll Hunterian Be.1.8 (see main library entry for this item)
Variants: Copies known with misprints in the heading and first column of Salandus’s verses on ZZ6r - cf. BMC (IC. 26913);  in this copy the misprints are corrected to “Calchondilo”, “achæum”, “interpetre”, “præter” as BMC (IC. 26915);  ZZ6r, line 1 begins:  “Ioānes ...” not as in BMC (IC. 26913) “Iohānes ...”
Provenance: Annibale Delfinoni/Hannibal Delphinus (16th century), of Milan:  inscription on ZZ5v “Hannibalis Delphinonij”.
William Hunter (1718-1783), physician and anatomist:  source unknown.
University of Glasgow:  Hunterian bequest 1807;  Hunterian Museum bookplate on front pastedown, with former shelfmark “Ag.6.10”.
Binding: 18th-century mottled calf, covers decorated with a triple gold fillet border, a small gold fleuron at each corner;  gold-tooled spine;  marbled endpapers;  green-edged leaves.   Size:  344 x 235 mm. 
Leaf size: 333 x 225 mm. 
Annotations: Occasional underlining;  very occasional marginal annotations in Greek in an early hand;  spasmodic foliation in ink in a 16th/17th-century hand. 
Decoration: None. 
Imperfections: None.

 

Colophon and ownership inscription in Suda: Lexicon graecum [Greek]

Copy 2

GIP number: S58/3
Shelf-mark: Sp Coll BD9-b.11 (see main library entry for this item)
Note: Quire ZZ misbound:  ZZ1 ZZ3.4 ZZ2.5 ZZ6;  ZZ6 is mounted. 
Variants: As in Copy 1.
Provenance: Joseph Sams, bookseller, Darlington & London (1784-1860):  sold book to William Euing.
William Euing (1788-1874 ), insurance broker, Glasgow:  purchased 2 July 1849 from Sams according to Euing’s pencil acquisition note with price code “2 7 49 gf/f Sams” on front free endpaper;  an early Euing inventory number “33” in pencil on front free endpaper.
University of Glasgow:  presented by Euing in 1872 according to one of two University Library bookplates on front pastedown. 
Binding: 18th-century mottled calf, covers decorated with a border of triple gold fillets;  gold-tooled spine;  marbled endpapers;  red-edged leaves;  green silk bookmark;  bunch of grapes watermark on front and rear flyleaves.   Size:  361 x 250 mm. 
Leaf size: 351 x 240 mm. 
Annotations: Brief marginal annotations in Greek in an early hand on μ6r and on ψ8r;  19th-century pencil annotations on front free endpaper and front flyleaf quoting Alexander Chalmers, William Beloe, Thomas Dibdin, and (in the same hand) “Fine large copy of a rare & valuable work 5£. 5s.”;  on front free endpaper a 19th-century price in code “g/g/o” followed by “not in Cata.” 
Decoration: None. 
Imperfections: None. 

 

Prefatory page of Suda: Lexicon graecum [Greek]


Copy 3

GIP number S58/2
Shelf-mark: Sp Coll Bl10-c.11 (see main library entry for this item)
Variants: As in Copy 1.
Provenance: Robert Foulis (1707-1776) & Andrew Foulis (1712-1775), printers and booksellers, Glasgow.
University of Glasgow:  purchased via Professor George Ross from Robert and Andrew Foulis, 26 Dec. 1744, for £3.0.0;  see Glasgow University Archives 32299;  shelfmark “Q.7.9” on book-plate matching entry in A. Arthur, ‘Catalogus impressorum librorum in Bibliotheca Universitatis Glasguensis’ (Glasguae: 1791).
Binding: 18th-century mottled calf;  gilt bands on spine;  red-edged leaves;  front flyleaves have fleur-de-lys watermark and countermark “I V”.   Size:  344 x 252 mm. 
Leaf size: 336 x 237 mm. 
Annotations: Frequent marginal annotations and underlining in a 16th/17th-century hand (annotations mainly in Latin, a few in Greek). 
Decoration: None. 
Imperfections: None. 

Caption title in Suda: Lexicon graecum [Greek]