ΛΟΥΙΤΠΡΑΝΔΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΚΡΕΜΩΝΑΣ: ΑΝΤΑΠΟΔΟΣΙΣ - ΠΡΕΣΒΕΙΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟ ΦΩΚΑ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΑ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ - ΕΡΓΑ ΑΠΑΝΤΑ, LUITPRANDI EPISCOPI CREMONENSIS: OPERA OMNIA. AMSTERDAM 1640 SECOND EDITION of most of the extant works of the 10th century famous Luitprand.ROYAL FOLIO,contemporary full vellum slightly soiled,upper joint with few damage at head,covers with fine armorial gilded stamps,text clean and bright with very few occasional spotting in some pages,fine pictorial title page prepared by the famous Dutch painter Paul Rubens and signed by him, overall a very good copy. The 1640 edition of Luitprandi Opera is widely considered one of the most beautiful and controversial books produced by the famous Plantin Press in Antwerp. It is a masterpiece of Baroque book design, primarily because of the involvement of Peter Paul Rubens.The publisher, Balthasar Moretus, was a close friend of Rubens, and he commissioned the artist to design the book's Allegorical Title Page.It was engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger. It features a grand architectural pedestal,a personification of History,a woman with wings, and a Phoenix,symbolizing the immortality of historical truth,on the sides images a Mercury,god of messages and diplomacy and figures representing the lineage of the Popes,finally on the bottom a small scene depicting the Rape of Europe. 592 pages of main text, preceded by 48 pages of introductory material and followed by a 40-page index. Printed in high-quality Latin and Greek type and featuring ornate woodcut initials and decorative tailpieces. This edition is famous because it blended real history with forgeries. It was edited by Lorenzo Ramírez de Prado, using the notes of the Jesuit Jerónimo Román de la Higuera,who died in 1611.It contains two distinct types of texts:the Genuine Works: The Antapodosis, Historia Pttonis and the Relatio to Constantinople (Liutprand's actual 10th-century writings) and the Forgeries, The Chronicon and Adversaria. These were invented by Higuera to prove ancient Spanish religious legends. Because these forgeries were included in such a prestigious, beautifully printed volume, they were accepted as real by many historians for over a century. The Antapodosis (meaning "The Retribution" ) is the most famous and vibrant part of Liutprand’s work. Written between 958 and 962, it is not a dry chronicle but a deeply personal, often vengeful, and highly theatrical account of 10th-century Europe. Liutprand chose the Greek title Antapodosis because the book was intended as a repayment. He wanted to reward his patrons (like Emperor Otto I) with praise and pay back his enemies with scathing insults and public shaming. It is divided into six books, covering the period from roughly 887 to 950 AD.. Luitprand was one of the few Western scholars of his time who knew Greek, and he frequently inserted Greek words to show off his erudition.The Antapodosis is our primary source for several major 10th-century events regarding the Byzantine Levant. He provides a famous description of the famous Throne of Solomon in the Imperial Palace in Constantinople, which featured mechanical lions that roared and metal birds that sang, while the Emperor’s throne was hoisted into the air. Luitprand travelled to Constantinople twice.His separate work, Embassy to Nicephorus Phocas is a monumental work how the Westerners saw Byzantine Greeks. The 1640 edition uses a beautiful typeface where the Greek words Liutprand loved so much are printed in an elegant Greek font, contrasting with the Latin. Unlike many medieval monks who wrote boring lists of dates, Liutprand wrote with emotion, humor, and bias.Antapodosis gives us the "flavor" of the 10th century,the smells, the insults, the gold of Constantinople, and the bitter rivalries of the era providing us invaluable information for 10th century Greece.A splendid book coupled with a fine title page,a print created by one of the top Baroque painters, Rubens.