Rhetoricorvm ad Herennivm – 1562 | De Diviniatione – Cicero, Philosophy | 2 in 1

Rhetoricorvm ad Herennivm libri qvatvor. M.T. Ciceronis De inventione libri dvo by Cicero was printed in 1562 in Cologne by Maternus Cholinus. Rhetorica ad Herennium is recognized as the earliest known treatise on rhetoric in Western literature, discussing argumentation, stylistic variation, and memory techniques. Though traditionally attributed to Cicero, its authorship has remained a point of scholarly debate, with Lucius Cornificius often proposed as an alternative. The companion work, Cicero’s own De Inventione, introduces one of the earliest usages of the term “liberal arts” in Roman literature, offering practical frameworks for judicial and deliberative speech.

Uniquely, this 1562 edition is bound with an entirely separate second book: Ciceronis De Divinatione : libri duo, printed by Angermarius in Ingolstadt in 1604. In this philosophical text, Cicero articulates opposing views on divinatory practices like astrology and augury, contrasting superstition with Roman Stoicism and logic. The composite volume presents a compelling juxtaposition of Roman intellectual traditions.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rhetoricorvm ad Herennivm libri qvatvor. M.T. Ciceronis De inventione libri dvo; Ciceronis De Divinatione : libri duo
• Author(s): Cicero, Marcus Tullius
• Publisher: Coloniae: Apud Maternum Cholinum (1562); Ingolstadium: Angermarius (1604)
• Edition: 1562 revised edition; 1604
• Format: (16mo), two volumes in one binding
• Binding: Leather over marbled boards
• Size:  6 in x 4 in (15 cm x 10 cm)
• Collation:
  • “Rhetoricum”: 328, [8] pp
  • “Divinatione”: 182pp; includes separate title page
• Contents Include:
  • Rhetorica ad Herennium
  • De Inventione
  • De Divinatione
• Provenance: Bookplate of Franciscanorum Hospitii Oenipontani; Handwritten signatures of F. Beyrer and Ingenuinus Koch
• Reference(s): USTC 691100

Condition:

Very Good condition. Quarter leather binding shows evident wear, with visible cracking at joints and leather missing primarily at the foot of the spine, though hinges remain intact. Boards retain original marbling. Text-block remains tight and secure. No loss of legibility to internal content; scattered foxing and annotations noted.

Why Collect This?

• Rare compilation of Cicero’s rhetoric and occult philosophy
• Contains the earliest known rhetorical treatise in Latin
• Early printing on Roman skepticism
• Ideal for collectors of Latin classics

Item Number: # 28888