Editing Aldus Manutius (section)

=== Enchiridia ===
Manutius described his new format of books as "libelli portatiles in formam enchiridii" ("portable small books in the form of a manual").{{sfn|Clemons|Fletcher|2015|p=97}} [[wikt:enchiridion|Enchiridion]], described in ''A Legacy More Lasting than Bronze'', also refers to a handheld weapon, a hint that Aldus intended the books in his Portable Library to be the weapons of scholars.{{sfn|Clemons|Fletcher|2015|p=97}}{{sfn|Beal|2011}} It was for these pocket-sized classics Aldus designed the italic font.<ref>Lyons, Martyn. 2011. Books: a living history. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.</ref>

Manutius converted to the smaller format in 1501 with the publication of Virgil.{{sfn|Angerhofer|Maxwell|Maxwell|1995|p=2}} As time went on, Manutius self-advertised his portable format through the dedication pages he published.{{sfn|Grendler|1984|p=22}}

Many scholars consider the development of the portable book as Manutius's most celebrated contribution to printing and publishing. These mobile books were the first known appearance of an ''editio minor'', a straightforward text.{{sfn|Fletcher III|1988|pp=4–5}} During the 15th century, books were often chained to a reading platform to protect valuable property, requiring the reader to stay stationary.{{sfn|Fletcher III|1988|p=88}} Publishers often added commentary to their published classics. Thus, pages became overloaded with scholarship and serious material which produced a large book that was difficult to transport. The Aldine Press removed these inconveniences; Manutius's books were "published without commentary and in smaller sizes, usually octavos of five by eight or four by six inches."{{sfn|Grendler|1984|p=22}} His famous octavo editions are often regarded as the first prototype of the mass-market paperback.{{sfn|Lowry|1979|p=142}}

The octavos were moderately priced considering the known average salaries of the time, but they were not cheap. Manutius priced his Latin octavos at 30 [[Soldo|soldi]], which was a fourth of a [[ducat]]. His Greek octavos were double the price at 60 soldi. For context, a master mason would earn about 50 soldi a day to make between 50 and 100 ducats a year.{{sfn|Fletcher III|1988|pp=88–91}}

[[File:manutius.jpg|thumb|260px|A page from Francesco Colonna's ''[[Hypnerotomachia Poliphili]]'', an illustrated book printed by Aldus Manutius|alt=refer to caption]]
[[File:Virgil 1501 Aldus Manutius.jpg|The [[John Rylands Library]] copy of the Aldine Vergil of 1501, printed on [[vellum]] and hand-coloured|thumb|alt=refer to caption]]