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C1608
Germaniae Veteris Typus.
Mapmaker:
Early c.17th map of ancient Germany by Abraham Ortelius, published in, Ortelius’s, Parergon. Ortelius used cartographic sources from ancient authors such as; Tacitus, Cæsar, Dionysus, Ptolemæus, Suetonius, Eutropius, Seneca, Plinius and Strabo. This atlas of ancient geography must be regarded … Read Full Description
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Details
Full Title:
Germaniae Veteris Typus.
Date:
C1608
Mapmaker:
Condition:
In good condition, with centre fold as issued.
Technique:
Hand coloured copper engraving.
Image Size:
467mm
x 365mm
Paper Size:
591mm
x 473mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1608
Description:
Early c.17th map of ancient Germany by Abraham Ortelius, published in, Ortelius’s, Parergon. Ortelius used cartographic sources from ancient authors such as; Tacitus, Cæsar, Dionysus, Ptolemæus, Suetonius, Eutropius, Seneca, Plinius and Strabo.
This atlas of ancient geography must be regarded as a personal work of Ortelius. For this work he did not, as in the ‘Theatrum’, copy other people’s maps but drew the originals himself which were later engraved by Jan Wierix … The maps in the Parergon have to be evaluated as the most outstanding engravings depicting the wide-spread interest in classical geography in the 16th century. Koeman
This edition identified by the following on the text on the verso: (last line first text page, right aligned: Questa ; last line second text page, right aligned: salica,
From, Ortelius, A. Parergon, sive Veteris Geographiae aliquot Tabulae.
References:
Van Den Broecke, M. P. R. Ortelius Atlas Maps.1996 Netherlands. 1608/1612Ixv (last line first text page, right aligned: Questa ; last line second text page, right aligned: salica,
Tooley, R. Tooley’s Dictionary of Mapmakers 1979 p.29.
Sabin, J. A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time. New York. (1936) 1967. 57693.
Phillips, P. A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress. Washington 1973 374.
Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 3378606
Library of Congress Washington D.C.: Call Number/Physical Location G1006 .T5 1570b (1570 edition)
Utrecht University: Call number: KAART: *VIII*.A.a.8 Rar Lk (1579 edition)
State Library New South Wales: Call Number: MRB/X912/7D (1579 edition)
Reference:
Koeman’s, Atlantes Neerlandici. Parergon, sive Veteris Geographiae aliquot Tabulae: Ort 45
Abraham Ortelius (1527 - 1598)
Flemish cartographer, geographer, and publisher, born in Antwerp on 14 April 1527. He is celebrated as the creator of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World), first published in 1570, widely regarded as the first modern atlas and one of the most influential cartographic works of the sixteenth century.
Trained as a map colourist and illuminator, Ortelius joined the Antwerp Guild of St Luke as a map illuminator in 1547, initially working in partnership with his sister, Anne. He began his career as a map and print dealer, trading in geographical materials and decorative prints across Europe. His extensive travels—to France, Germany, Italy, and notably to London where he met the English cartographer John Dee and the great mapmaker Gerardus Mercator—broadened his intellectual and professional network. Mercator’s work and ideas profoundly influenced Ortelius’s approach to geography and cosmography.
Ortelius’s Theatrum Orbis Terrarum was first issued in Antwerp in 1570 by the printer Gilles Coppens de Diest. Comprising seventy engraved maps with accompanying text, it presented a consistent format and unified design, with maps engraved chiefly by Frans Hogenberg. Each map was carefully attributed to its original source, a practice that reflected Ortelius’s scholarly integrity and established an early model for bibliographic citation in cartography. The Theatrum was an unprecedented success, appearing in more than forty editions and seven languages over the next four decades.
In 1573 Ortelius issued the Additamentum, the first supplement to the atlas, introducing new maps and expanding its global scope. Among his other important works were the Synonymia Geographica (1578), a geographical dictionary of ancient and modern place names, and Thesaurus Geographicus (1596), both significant contributions to Renaissance geographical scholarship.
Ortelius was also among the first to propose, in marginal notes to his maps, that the continents might once have been joined before drifting apart—an early precursor to modern theories of continental drift. His combination of scientific precision, humanist learning, and aesthetic refinement made him a central figure in the golden age of Netherlandish cartography.
He maintained close associations with leading scholars and artists of his time, including Justus Lipsius, Christopher Plantin, and the cartographers Gerard de Jode and Petrus Plancius. His friendship with Mercator remained of great importance throughout his life, and Mercator dedicated several works to him.
Ortelius was appointed Royal Geographer to King Philip II of Spain in 1575, in recognition of his contributions to geography and the prestige his atlas brought to the Spanish Netherlands. He continued to reside in Antwerp, where he also acted as a patron to younger scholars and artists.
Abraham Ortelius died in Antwerp on 28 June 1598 and was buried in the Church of St Michael’s Abbey. His epitaph reads Quietis cultor sine lite, uxore, prole—“A worshipper of tranquillity, without dispute, wife, or children.” His maps and atlases remain milestones in the history of cartography, bridging medieval cosmography and the emerging scientific geography of the early modern world.
