Frontisicii Explicatio - Hubert Goltzius

A historical letterpress page from Hubert Goltzius's 1566 work on Roman history, featuring a scholarly dialogue in Latin.

This page originates from the 1566 publication Fasti magistratuum et triumphorvum Romanorum, authored by the Dutch humanist and printer Hubert Goltzius. The work functions as a scholarly examination of Roman history, specifically focusing on the chronology of magistrates and triumphs. Goltzius was a significant figure in the sixteenth-century antiquarian movement, known for his rigorous approach to numismatics and classical history. He established his own printing press in Bruges, which allowed him to oversee the production of his volumes with precision.

The text presented here, titled Frontisicii Explicatio, is structured as a dialogue between a spectator and the author. It serves to explain the allegorical frontispiece of the book, detailing the symbolic representation of Rome. The Latin verses describe the personification of the city, the presence of Romulus and Remus, and the spoils of war. The typography reflects the standard humanist style of the period, utilising clear, legible Roman typefaces that were favoured by scholars for their classical associations. The layout is clean, with generous margins and a balanced distribution of text, typical of the high-quality printing standards maintained by the Goltzius press.

For collectors of historical documents, this print offers a glimpse into the intellectual rigour of the Renaissance. It represents the intersection of classical scholarship and the burgeoning print culture of the Low Countries. The page is not merely a piece of text but a record of the methods used to disseminate historical knowledge during the sixteenth century. Its preservation provides insight into the editorial choices and aesthetic preferences of a period that sought to revive the glory of the ancient world through the medium of the printed book.