ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΠΑΧΥΜΕΡΗΣ: ΠΑΡΑΦΡΑΣΙΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΡΕΟΠΑΓΙΤΟΥ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΤΑ ΕΥΡΙΣΚΟΜΕΝΑ- GEORGI PACHYMERI Paraphrasis in omnia Dionysii Areopagitae, Athenarum Episcopi, Opera quae Extant. PARIS 1561 EDITIO PRINCEPS of the first ever published work of Pachymeris, a Byzantine 13th century statesman and scholar,, in 8vo, slightly later 17th century full leather with light wear, marbles edges, spine gilt, text clean and bright, text only in Greek, device to title, woodcut initials, 17th century ink inscription to title head 'Ex Libris Abraham Girard 1663', a fine provenance, e3-4 mis-bound after *3 (as often), overall in very good condition. In the 16th century, the writings of Dionysius the Areopagite were considered the most important mystical texts in the early Christian world, and Pachymeres' paraphrase was the key used to unlock their deep, complex Greek.During the time the book was printed, everyone believed the author was the same Dionysius mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles who was converted by St. Paul in Athens. We now know the texts were written in the 5th or 6th century,hence Pseudo-Dionysius The work was the foundation of Christian mysticism covers the Celestial Hierarchy (the nine choirs of angels), the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, and Divine Names.Dionysius wrote in an incredibly dense, almost impossible Neo-Platonic Greek style.George Pachymeres was commissioned by the Byzantine Emperor to write this paraphrase to "translate" Dionysius's difficult Greek into a clearer, though still sophisticated, Greek. It acted as an essential commentary. A masterpiece of Byzantine literature of the 13th century. The edition is a fine achievement of the Morel press. Because it dealt with Dionysius (the patron saint of Paris), the French Royal printers put immense effort into this specific book.Using the Grecs du Roi, the printer laid out Pachymeres explanation around or following the original text. It is designed to be a meditative, scholarly experience and as to read a manuscript. A landmark in Rennaissance typography and Byzantine studies, one of the earliest Byzantine texts ever printed. Abraham Girard (1635-1693, the ex owner in 1663) was an influential bibliophile and intellectual during the reign of Louis XIV, Adams D520