Author: Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.
Title: Adagiorum D. Erasmi Roterodami Epitome.
Publisher: Amstelodami (Amsterdam), Joannem Janssonium, 1663.
Language: Text in Latin and Greek.
Size:  5.5 x 3 inches.
Pages: 548 pages + index.
Binding: Good contemporary full vellum binding, showing expected age-related wear, light stains, and soiling. Handwritten title to spine panel, with some small cracks to vellum at hinges - as shown (hinges tight, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Remains tight and complete, a fine example of a 17th-century scholar’s portable binding.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown. one page shows underlining by a previous owner - as shown). 
Illustrations: Woodcut printer’s device on title page, decorative headpieces and initials throughout, all characteristic of 17th-century Amsterdam presswork.

The book: This compact 17th-century edition of Erasmus’ celebrated Adagia distills his monumental collection of classical proverbs into a widely accessible epitome. The Adagia (first published in 1500 and vastly expanded during Erasmus’ lifetime) was one of the great humanist projects of the Renaissance, preserving thousands of proverbs, adages, and moral sayings from Greek and Latin antiquity. The work remained popular for centuries as a resource for students, scholars, and moralists, with editions printed across Europe. This Amsterdam edition by Joannem Janssonium represents the enduring legacy of Erasmus’ wit, philology, and erudition well into the 17th century.

The author: Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536), the great Dutch humanist, theologian, and classical scholar, was one of the most influential intellectual figures of the Renaissance. Known for works such as In Praise of Folly and his critical editions of the New Testament, Erasmus was a key voice advocating for learning, reform, and the revival of classical wisdom. His Adagia is particularly significant, as it not only gathered proverbial wisdom but also enriched it with commentary, thus shaping the literary, rhetorical, and moral culture of early modern Europe.