1801, Chaussard, Fêtes et courtisanes de la Grèce, illustré, 4 vols.

Condition : good, some shelf wear, some light foxing, vol. 4 front flyleaf with a trace of folding. Overall a good copy.
Illustrations : illustrated with 4 frontispieces by Garnery, in the first volume 2 plates of music by Méhul, a folding table (Culte du soleil) and a folding engraved planisphere of the labours of Hercules, in volume 3 a folding table of the planets and in volume 4 another plate (with 2 pages) engraved with music by Méhul
Binding : contemporary half leather, spine gilt.
Volume : 4 volumes.
Format : In-8.
Pages : 3 ff., XXXII, 400 pp., 3 ff., 468 pp., 3 ff., 460 pp. and 3 ff., 508 pp.
Publisher : Paris, F. Buisson, Mongie et Desenne.
Date : 1801.
References : Barbier II, 6699; Brunet VI, 22843 (for the 2nd edition).

Rare first edition, published anonymously.

Comprising 1°. La Chronique Religieuse des anciens Grecs, Tableau de leurs Moeurs publiques; 2°. La Chronique qu'aucuns nommeront scandaleuses, Tableau de leurs Moeurs privées.
Enrichi d'un Almanach athénien, de la Description des Danses grèques, des Chants anacréontiques, musique de Méhul, et de gravures d'après l'autorité antique, sur les dessins de Garnerey.

Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Chaussard (1766-1823) was a prolific French writer, as well as an art critic, poet and revolutionary politician. He was a member of the Theophilanthropy movement during the French Revolution. Chaussard was greatly influenced by J. J. Barthélemy's "Voyage du jeune Anacharsis", a very successful fictional reconstruction of the ancient Greek world that doubles as a travelogue, and by E. Fr. Lantier, "Voyages d'Anténor en Grèce et en Asie". It was under the influence of these works that Chaussard composed this sensual essay, in which he expands on questions of ancient Greek religion, on the habits and customs of ancient Greece, on festivities (heroic, family and state festivals), on dance (tragic, comic, satirical, lyrical and family). His text includes theatrical dialogues from the lives of famous courtesans, such as Aspasia, Phryne and Laïs, as well as a story about the adventures of the poetess Sappho of Lesbos.