4to. 2 volumes in 1: (XX),148; (VI),68,(4 index),(2 blank) p. Limp vellum 21 cm (Ref: Edit16 CNCE 52030; Hoffmann 2,389; Ebert 10709: Brunet 3,394; Graesse 3,447; Caillet 5490: 'édition la plus estimée donnant de précieux documents sur l'hermétisme et le magisme qui florissaient chez les grands peuples de l'antiquité') (Details: Latin translation only. Two title pages: a woodcut floral ornament central on the first title. Woodcut printer's mark on the second title, it depicts a coiling snake, keeping together the branch of a palmtree and an olivetree; beneath the snake 2 little snakes are creeping out of the soil, above this scene flies a pigeon that holds a jewelled ring in its claws. Motto: 'fortes fortuna adiuvat'. Woodcut initials. § Of the first titlepage there are at least 3 variants. Edit 16 knows only 2. Our copy (1) has only a floral ornament on it, and the impressum 'Apud Antonium Bladum Pontifis Maximi excusorem'. The Bibliothèque National has a copy (2) which has besides the floral ornament, on both sides of it the coat of arms of the Vatican, and also a longer impressum, to which has been added 'Sumptibus D. Vincentij Luchrini. Cum privilegio Summi Pontifici Adcenium'. It seems that most copies (3) have the ornament, the coat of arms, and a now corrected addition 'Sumptibus D. Vincentij Luchrini. Cum privilegio Summi Pontifici Ad decennium') (Condition: Vellum age-toned and somewhat warped. Binding worn at the extremes, small damages to the back skilfully repaired. Foot of the spine chafed. Both ties gone. Paper slightly yellowing. Some innocent foxing) (Note: The first and greatest part of this book (148 p.) commonly called 'De mysteriis Aegyptiorum' is a curious guide to the superstions of the late antique world. It is attributed by the best manuscript to the Greek neoplatonist philosopher Iamblichus, ca. 240 - 325 AD. He was a pupil of the Greek philosopher Plotinus, whose teachings he however corrupted 'by introducing theosophical fantasies from alien sources; and his tendency is to substitute magic for mysticism, 'theourgia' for the Plotinian 'theôria''. (OCD 2nd ed. p. 538) Iamblichus' greatest merit is his contribution to the further development of the Plotinian system. He also wrote a work of 10 books on Pythagorism, of which 4 books have survived. His most original work goes with 3 different titles; it is commonly called 'De mysteriis Aegyptiorum', or 'Theourgia'. Its original title seems to have been longer, 'The reply of Master Abamon to the Letter of Porphyrius to Anebo, and the Solutions to the Questions it contains'. Porphyrius and Iamblichus, his pupil, disagreed over the practice of 'theourgia', and 'De Mysteriis' consists mainly of Iamblichus' vicious and hostile response to the criticism of his teacher in his letter to Anebo. Porphyrius learned that man can only come to God by contemplation and philosophy. Iamblichus turned to popular pagan religion, ritual and magic. 'Written under the guise of the Egyptian prophet 'Abamon' as a reply to Porphyry's 'letter to Anebo' the original title places the work firmly within the philosophical genre of 'Problems and Solutions'; cast in an epistolary form, it is essentially a series of replies to a set of problems (aporiai) proposed by Porphyry about the nature of the gods and the proper modes of worshipping them'. (C. Addey, 'The prophet Abamon and the dialogues of Hermes: Iamblichus’ De Mysteriis, Porphyry’s letter to Anebo and the Hermetica' (2011)). Iamblichus taught that Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Plato, first learnt their wisdom from the Egyptians. His theourgia, which took the place of the platonic methaphysics an cosmology, sought its inspiration in Greek and Roman religion. Lustrations, rituals, initiations and magic rites, with their invocations of the gods by their secret names, and their magical manipulations of plants and stones, became important. § The 'De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum' was only partly known before this complete translation of 1556. (The 'editio princeps' of the Greek text dates from 1678) The text was translated by the bishop/scholar Niccolo Scutelli da Trento, or Nicolaus Scutellius Tridentinus, 1490-1542. Not much is known about him. He taught Greek, was also versed in Latin and Hebrew, wrote a treatise 'Plethon in Aristotelem', and translated a number of other works by Plethon, as well as some works of the Neoplatonist Proclus. The translation is preceded by 2 dedications/ introductions. The first, dated 1556, is written by the editor Scipione Bongallo, or Scipio Bongallus, since 1539 bishop of Civita Castellana. The second introduction is by the translator Niccolo Scutelli. Bongallus tells in the first introduction that he edited and published this work of bishop Scutellius posthumously. Scutellius, he says, disposed of a far better manuscript than his predecessors, who offered only bits and pieces. The publishing of Scutelli's translation is a testimonium of his friendship with Scutellius. He commemorates that he was in the best years of his life a pupil of Scutellius, who taught him Greek in Rome. (idque mihi annis vitae melioribus, cum me Roma Graeca elementa doceret, commemorabat (*3 recto)) He also praises cardinal Christophorus Madrutius for having given him the manuscript of the translation, which had come into the cardinal's possession after the death of Scutellius. He dedicates this precious, attractive and useful work to him. From the second dedication/introduction, dated 1538, we gather that the manuscript was probably donated by Scutellius to cardinal Christophorus Madrutius, for Scutellius dedicated it to him. He calls Madrutius 'Pater optime', and offers him gladly the first complete translation of 'De mysteriis' of Iamblichus, a work which was known untill then only in pieces, (conscissus, *3 verso) and which took him many years to finish. In a short 'Pio Lectori' placed after the second introduction Bongallus tells the reader that he added after the 'De Mysteriis' for the recreation of the reader, who is tired of this difficult text, some lighter works of Scutellius. The recreational works are a biography of Pythagoras, and a study of his sect, compiled by Scutellius from the works of Iamblichus. Then follow 9 pages with the translation of 30 Symbola (sayings) of Pythagoras accompanied by elaborate commentary. It ends with a section 'Mathemata', which is on Pythagorean mathematics and the use of mathematics) (Collation: *4, 2*6, A-T4 (minus leaf T3 & T4); AA-KK4 (leaf KK4 blank)) (Photographs on request)