Lot 08071

DAPONTES Constantin / ΔΑΠΟΝΤΕΣ Κωνσταντίνος, LEGRAND Emile (ed.), “Ephemerides Daces/ ΔΑΚΙΑΚΙ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΕΣ, ou Chronique de la guerre de quatre ans(1736-1739), PAR CONSTANTIN DAPONTES secretaire du prince CONSTANTIN MAUROCORDATO, Publie traduite et annotee par EMILE LEGRAND», Volumes Α΄and Β΄, Paris, Ernest Leroux, 1880 & 1881.

4to, 26x17cm, pp. xxxii, φνθ΄, [1] + lxxxviii, 470, with frontispieces of Dapontes’ manuscript in Vol.I and a portrait of Con. Mavrocordato in Vol.II.

First edition, the complete manuscript in Greek (Vol.I) and its translation in French (Vol.II).

Κωνσταντίνος Δαπόντες (Konstantinos Dapontes 1713-1784) was a Greek Fanariote, one of the leading Greek historians of 18th century. He stayed in Constantinople and in the courts of Phanariotes Princes in Moldavia, he was the secretary of Prince Mavrocordato for several years. Ephemerides Daces (Δακικαί Εφημερίδες), a very lengthy account written in Greek, is a detailed description of several events in Constantinople and in the Ottoman Levant in the 1730s mainly dealing with the Ottoman Russian war of 1736-39 and its impact in the Christian population of the Balkans but not only. As Dapontes was an eyewitness of all the events which he describes and additionally had first hand information from all the major Ottoman and Fanariote officials, his account is a unique source for Constantinople and the 18th century Ottoman Levant, its society, the administration, the position of the Greeks and their view of the Ottoman Levant, an aspect for which, very few original information exist.

Later binding, excellent condition.

A unique source. Rare.