LUCIUS DE PATRAS, “LA LUCIADE OU LÂNE, avec le texte grec revu sur plusieurs manuscrits”, A Paris, De limprimerie de A. Bobée, 1818. In-12o, 3 ff., xxii + 1 f. errata, 321 pp. First edition. Without illustrations.

Lucius or Onos (“Donkey”) is a fiction in the form of a parody with many folk elements, with a verbal libertarianism and scabrous scenes. The magic, the transmigration and the sexual greed of some women are satirized. The peculiarity of the work is not only in the conception of the whole subject, but also in the various conflicting views that have been expressed, from time to time, both about its paternity and its origin as it does not generally correspond to the linguistic texture of Luciani corpus. It is considered the first science-fiction story.

Bilingual text of the work: in Greek on the left page and in French on the right page. Contemporary full leather binding, blind-stamped covers with guilt line, fragile guilt spine (semi-detached) with 5 raised bands, marbled end papers and edges. Front board partly detached, rubbed extremities; clean and tight inside.