Colophon

Cité Greek

It was founded, according to the tradition brought back by Pausanias (7, 3,1), by Andrémon, wire of Codros, the last King d' Athènes. On its territory was the oracle of Apollon to Claros. It passed under the cane of the Lydie NS then Perses. The city was destroyed with died of Alexandre Large the by the Diadoque Lysimaque. Its inhabitants were driven out towards Éphèse, which it had just founded.

According to certain authors, Colophon was the birthplace of Homère. The city was also famous for its luxury and effeminate manners of its inhabitants. Lastly, it gave place to an expression, “ Κολοφῶνα ἐπιτίθεναι / Kolophôna epitithenai ” (“to add Colophonien”). According to Strabon, that was explained by the power of its cavalry, which was enough to remove the victory everywhere where it went. The scholiaste of Plato, explains for its part that Colophoniens had a double right to vote at the assembly of the Ionian cities, to have convinced Smyrna to join them. This way, Colophoniens often decided exit of a dubious vote. For this reason, the name of the city became a common noun meaning “completion, crowning of a thing”.

Printing works

The colophon (Mnemotechnical: “adhesive at the bottom”) indicates the final note of a manuscript or a printed book, mainly for the Incunables.

One finds in the colophon the following indications:

the name of the author,
the title of the work,
the name of the printer or the editor,
the place and the date of impression.

It can also be a question of a drawing (and/or) of a Symbole (and/or) of a Devise. The colophon disappears with the profit from the title page, which takes again the same indications but this time at the head of work. The modern colophon is called “Achevé to print”.

See too

Random links: