Jerzy Curtius: A grammar of the greek language [1881

This is the third edition of the highly regarded textbook for the study of Greek by George Curtius (1820-1885) – a prominent German classical philologist, professor at Leipzig University and one of the founders of modern linguistics. The Polish edition was prepared by Tomasz Sternal and Zygmunt Samolewicz, outstanding classical philologists and educators.

The publication was published in 1881 by the Lviv-based I. Union Printing House. Curtius’ Grammar was one of the most important and widely used Greek textbooks in Europe in the 19th century, combining a solid historical grammar lecture with a practical approach to teaching the classical language. The Polish edition, compiled by Sternal and Samolewicz, included explanations and additions adapted to the needs of the Polish student.

The presented copy has a special provenance value – the title page bears the ownership stamp of Feliks Kopera (1871-1952), an eminent art historian, long-time director of the National Museum in Cracow, professor at the Jagiellonian University and member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences . The presence of the seal of this eminent scholar significantly increases the collector’s value of the book.

The copy bears signs of heavy use yellowed pages (especially at the beginning and end), pencil underlining in the text. It has been subjected to a truly royal binding – this is an exclusive, handmade binding made of natural leather.