Unhappy Prosperity – Pierre Matthieu – 1639 | Concino Concini & Imperial Roman History

Unhappy Prosperity. Expressed in the History of Aelius Seianus, and Philippa the Catanian by Pierre Matthieu. This work is sort of Roman biography mixed with narrative, moral philosophy retelling history established from Tacitus and Suetonius. Aelius Sejanus, the ambitious minister of Tiberius, and Philippa of Catania, confidante to Agrippina, are both depicted as victims of courtly ambition and downfall. Matthieu’s framing of their lives mirrors his broader theme of prosperity turned ruin, a subject resonant with early modern reflections on fate and virtue.

This 1639 English edition was published in London, translated by Thomas Hawkins.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Unhappy Prosperity. Expressed in the History of Aelius Seianus, and Philippa the Catanian
• Author(s): Pierre Matthieu
• Contributor(s): Thomas Hawkins (Translator)
• Publisher: London, Thomas Harper for Nicholas Vavasour
• Edition: Second Edition, 1639.
• Format: (16mo), single volume
• Binding: Leather
• Size:  5.5 in x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Collation: [12], 72, 69–582 pp.
• Contents Include:
  • The History of Aelius Seianus
  • The History of Philippa the Catanian
  • Prefatory Epistle by the Translator
• Provenance: crude letter-practice handwriting on blank and margins

Condition:

Good. Original boards with a later reinforced leather spine, structurally tight and secure. Moderate staining on the title page; interior otherwise clean with consistent toning appropriate for age. Complete and sound.

Why Collect This?

• Rare English translation of a notable French moral allegory
• Represents a distinctive fusion of classical and Renaissance moral philosophy
• Early English moral literature interpreting Roman exempla

Item Number: # 29513