Miles rhetoricus et poeticus – Antonius Forti – 1685 | First Edition, Foundations of Rhetoric

Miles rhetoricus et poeticus, seu artis rhetoricæ et poeticæ compendium … Opera by Antonius Forti is a 1685 first edition manual on the art of rhetoric and poetry. Forti, an Italian Jesuit, addresses letter writing and delivering speeches, memory devices, voice and gesture in delivery, and the classification of poetic forms such as epic, tragedy, and comedy.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Miles rhetoricus et poeticus, seu artis rhetoricæ et poeticæ compendium … Opera
• Author(s): Antonius Forti
• Illustrator(s):
• Contributor(s): Francisci Camma (Contributor)
• Publisher: Messanæ, Vincentii de Amico
• Edition: First Edition, 1685
• Format: (8vo), single volume
• Binding: Full vellum; handwritten spine title
• Size:  8.5 in x 6 in (21.6 cm x 15.2 cm)
• Collation: 335pp
• Illustrations:
• Contents Include:
  • Foundations of rhetoric
  • Structure of speeches and use of metaphor and irony
  • Memory aids and delivery techniques (tone, gesture, voice)
  • Letter composition and poetic genres (tragedy, comedy, epic)
• Provenance: provenance
• Reference(s): references

Condition:

Very Good. Bound in full vellum with minor surface wear. The handwritten title on the spine remains legible. Binding is secure and text block is complete with mild age toning but no major faults.

Why Collect This?

• First edition of an uncommon rhetorical and poetic manual
• Printed in Messina during a key era of southern Italian scholarship
• Desirable for collections in early educational literature and Latin rhetoric

Item Number: # 29403