ELZEVIRIANA COLLECTION
This Deltian Library collection is dedicated to the Elzeviriana legacy—those exquisitely printed works by the Elzevir family of Dutch publishers, whose craftsmanship defined the aesthetics of the 17th century in terms of printing.
Recent in its formation, the collection has taken a thematic direction toward philosophy and classical antiquity, with special attention given to volumes concerning Ancient Greece and Rome. Preference is given to vellum-bound editions.
Beyond preservation, this collection is also part of a living effort: selected works—especially those never before rendered into English—are being carefully transcribed, translated, and digitised. The aim is to broaden access to these rare and often overlooked sources, making their insights available to a modern readership while retaining the scholarly dignity of their original form.
Non Solus (“not alone”) was the motto of the Elzevir publishing house; it conveys the idea that the reader is never alone when reading—a book is always a companion.
Elzevir emblem depicted in the Great Hall, Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
A pinnacle volume from the famed Respublicae series, Respublica Romana stands as one of the most sought-after and intellectually prized Elzevir publications. Revered for its crisp typographic elegance and compact scholarly authority, this edition offers a window into Rome’s constitutional and civic structure as seen through the precision of 17th-century Dutch printing. Among collectors, it is considered a crown jewel—rarely found in such refined preservation, and always admired for its gravitas.
A masterwork of early modern scholarship, Respublicae Graecorum captures the political systems of the ancient Greek world in unmatched Elzevir clarity. Issued in two compact volumes, this edition is among the rarest in the Respublicae series—coveted not only for its scarcity but for the breadth of Hellenic states it surveys. Its meticulous Latin renderings and enduring vellum craftsmanship make it a cornerstone for any serious Elzevir collection, bridging classical antiquity with the golden age of Dutch humanist printing. Of this particular work, Societas Deltian offers an English translation which can be found here.
ELZEVIRIAN REPUBLICS, (Petites Républiques)
Respublicae Elzevirianæ
(also known as: Elzevirian Republics; Petites Républiques)
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Netherlands — 1625-1649
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REPUBLICS (ELZEVIR)
Series Note: Between 1625 and 1649, Bonaventure and Abraham Elzevir published the famous Respublicae series from their Leiden press—thirty-five compact volumes covering European nations, select regions of Asia and Africa, and ancient states like Greece, Rome, and Israel. These pocket-sized books offered detailed overviews of each country’s geography, customs, politics, economy, and ruling families, and are often considered the first travel guide series in history.
The Deltian Library highlights these Elzevirian republics as foundational works—early models of portable knowledge that bridged scholarship and curiosity, and helped shape the modern way of seeing nations.
This document lists the known titles in the series, as well as several speculated or debated entries that may have once been planned or printed but remain unconfirmed.
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ARRANGED BY YEAR OF PUBLICATION
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Respublica Galliae. Elzevir, 1626
Subject: France
Respublica, sive Status Regni Scotiae et Hiberniae. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1627
Subject: Scotland and Ireland
Helvetiorum Respublica. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1627
Subject: Swiss Republic
Contraremi (Casp.) de Republica Venetorum. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1628
Subject: Venetian Republic
Respublica Romana. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1629
Subject: Ancient Roman Republic
Gallia sive de Francorum Regis Dominiis et opibus Commentarius. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1629
Hispania sive de Regis Hispaniae regnis et Opibus, Commentarius. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1629
Subject: Spain
Tractatus Varii de Regno Daniae et Norwegiae, etc. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1629
Subject: Denmark and Norway
Respublica Hollandiae et Urbes. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1630
Subject: Dutch Republic
Respublica Moscoviae. Elzevir, 1630 in 3 volumes
Subject: Muscovy
Moscoviae et Urbes. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1630
Subject: Muscovy
Russia, seu Moscovia itemque Tartaria. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1630
Subject: Russia
Belgii Confoederati Respublica, seu Gelriae, Hollandiae, etc. Descriptio. Lugd. Bat.[= Leiden], Elzevir, 1630
Subject: Belgium
Chinensis Regni Descriptio. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1630
Subject: China
Commentarius de Imperio Magni Mongolis sive India vera. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1631
Subject: Mongol Empire
Smithi (T.) de Republica Anglorum. lib. III. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1631
Subject: England
Tractatus Varii de Principatibus Italiae. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1631
Subject: Principalities of Italy
Cunaei (Petri) de Republica Hebraeorum. lib. III. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1632
Subject: Ancient Israel
Emmii (Ubbonis) Graecorum Respublicae, 2 vols in one. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1632-44
Subject: Ancient Greece
Suecia, sive Suecorum Regis Dominiis et Opibus Commentarius. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1633
Subject: Sweden
Sabaudiae Respublica et Historia. Lugd. Bat. [=Leyden], Elzevir, 1634
Subject: Duchy of Savoy
Turcici Imperii Status, accedit de Regno Algeriano atque Tunetano Commentarius. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1634
Subject: Turkey (Ottoman Empire), Algeria, Tunisia
Respublica et Status Regni Hungariae. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1634
Subject: Hungary
Respublica et Status Imperii Romano-Germanici, 2 vols. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1634-40
Subject: The Holy Roman Empire
Respublica Lutzenburgensis, Hannoniae et Namurcensis. Amsterdam, 1635
Subject: Republics of Lucerne, Hannover, Namur
Bertramus (Bonav. Corn.) de Republica Hebraeorum. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1641
Subject: Ancient Israel
T. Smithi de Republica Anglorum. Elzevir, 1641
Subject: England
Respublica, sive Status Regni Poloniae, Liuanae, Prussiae, Livoniae, etc. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1642
Subject: Poland, Latvia, Prussia, Lithuania, etc
Respublica Poloniae. Elzevir, 1642
Subject: Poland
Stranskii (M. Pauli) Respublica Bohemiae. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1643
Subject: Bohemia
Persia seu Regni Persici Status variaque Itinera in atque per Persiam, cuts. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1647
Subject: Persia
Varenii (Bern.) Descriptio Regni Japoniae, 2 vols. in 1. Amsterdam, Elzevir, 1649
Subject: Japan
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POSSIBLE ADDITIONS TO THE LIST
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Werdenhagen (Jo. Angelii) de Rebuspublicis Hanseaticis Tractatus generalis et specialis, 4 vols. in 3. Lugd. Bat. [= Leiden], Elzevir, 1631
Subject: Hanseatic Republic
Werdenhagen. Introductio Universalis in omnes Republicas, sive Politica Generalis. fine portrait. Amsterdam, 1632
Subject: Universal Introduction to All Republics, or General Politics
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