Lovely set, in the original French, of Rollin's very popular Histoire ancienne, which, contrary to its full title, primarily describes ancient Greece (the other ancient peoples are only treated in the first two volumes). It's a mixed set from three editions published by the Estienne family in nice closely matching bindings. After the first volume appeared in 1730, the series grew well beyond its initially planned five volumes and became tremendously popular, appearing in numerous editions and translations well into the 19th century.
Rollin organised a narrative closely based on a wide variety of ancient sources. While this copying was heavily criticized, Rollin also distinguished himself with his concern for moral issues. "The prominent lens through which Rollin viewed history was that of virtue corrupted by power, and this was the main approach that he tested in his Greek history. In the process, moreover, he carved and unprecedented space for Greek antiquity" (Lianeri).
The set is in very good condition, with a few leaves browned and a few minor spots and stains. The binding only have some minor wear along the extremities and are also in very good condition. Brunet IV, col. 1360; Graesse VI, p. 151; cf. A. Lianeri, The Western Time of Ancient History (2011), pp. 145-148.