Europe – Roman Empire
Detail
Date of first edition of this second plate: 1592 (first plate 1579/80)
Date of this edition: 1624, page ix
Dimensions (not including margins): 34,5 x 50 cm
Dimensions (including margins): 47 x 59,9 cm
Condition: Very good. Sharp copper engraving printed on paper. Old coloured. Centre fold as published. Wide margins. General light age-toning.
Condition rating: A
Verso: text in Latin
Map reference: Van der Krogt, III-B, 31:711
From: Parergon, 1624; Van der Krogt III-B, 1050H:31.2
Note: this item is exclusively offered with catalogue of Exhibition “The Dutch color the World”, organised at the Mercatormuseum in 2018.
This item is sold
Romani Imperii Imagio
Engraved by Hogenberg, this map was part of the original set of 3 historical maps added to the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum from 1579. It is based on a double folio map by Ortelius from 1571. At the top left and right is a medallion: to the left of Mercury (with the text: “Rome, your destiny is to rule the world”) and Romulus (with the text: “ For Romulus, founder of the Eternal City ”). In the cartouche at the bottom right, Ortelius gives a genealogy of the kings of Rome; strange because the map gives an overview of imperial Rome.
From 1592 he added the following quote from Vitruvius: “A divine spirit placed the city of the Roman citizens in an excellent and moderate region in order to rule the world“. This quote is missing in the map of 1579/1580
In the cartouche at the bottom left, Ortelius gives a brief summary of the Roman conquests. Hibernia is not mentioned here; however, Ortelius has Ireland colored as a conquered territory. This is wishful thinking: the Romans temporarily had a small fort there, on the headland of Drumanagh, but never conquered the island. One notices the projection of longitude and latitude: the meridians are straight lined and converge at the top at a virtual point.
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