[Rome] de Serviez, Jacques Roergas: History of the life of the Roman empresses, and of the princesses of their blood. In Venice, Leonardo Bassaglia 1785-87

3 volumes. Format in-8°, mm. 175x120, pp. (8), 358, (2) / (4), 348 / (4), 306. Third volume with the last leaf T12 missing. Contemporary binding in full old decorated paper. Handwritten titles on a tag on the spine. Edges of the leaves in red. Light stain on the lower half of the text of the volumes.

Old edition printed in Venice between 1785 and 1787 by Leonardo Bassaglia, complete in 3 volumes. Work of the French writer Jacques Roergas de Serviez (1679-1727), translated from French into Italian. Title pages with typographical device (Crowned salamander among flames; motto: Virtuti sic cedit invidia). Woodcut headpieces, initials and tailpieces.

The importance of the work lies in its novelty: the book can be considered one of the first examples of "history of illustrious women". Starting from texts in which they are cited as secondary figures, de Serviez composes a mosaic in which female figures rise to determining characters in the political choices of their husbands.