1674 Rei Agrariae Auctores Legesque variae, edited by Willem Goes. From the Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum.

A fascinating work, richly illustrated, a 17th century editing of the Roman surveying works of Siculus Flaccus, Frontinus, Sextus Julius, Aggenus Urbicus and Hyginus Gromaticus. This edition edited by Willelm Goes, with notes and observations by Nicolas Rigault.

The Roman surveying works are mainly found in an ancient manuscript titled Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum, which was discovered in the 16th century and first printed by Turnebus in 1554. Goes notes that he had access to fragments, which indicates he used manuscripts beyond the Corpus.

The woodcuts, which follow that of the 1554 edition, capture (and teach) the Roman surveying drawing technique of scaenographia.

Goes edition is a go-to work on Roman land division, as evidenced by the many, many times he's quoted in the section on Ager in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1875).

There is a second section, by Goes, on the history of Roman agriculture, Antiquita Tum Agrariarum.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 20.5 x 16 x 5 cm, quarto. Calf binding, respined. Illustrated. Three plates (other copies call for three fold-outs, but in this copy the foldout at p194 was trimmed tight so it fits within the binding without folding, so there are only two fold-outs), and many other illustrations. Pages - xx, 360, index/etc - 60, 328.

Condition -

See pictures. Respined. Original boards with worn corners and edges. Darkened top edge of text block. Ex libris on pastedown, with shelfmarks written on it. Library numbers on blank endpapers. Frontis with thumbing, toning and foxing. Toning, some foxing and thumbing throughout. Occasional dog-eared page. Toning more towards rear.