Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 196

Title: GAL:|LIĘ VE:|TERIS/Typus. | "Ex conatibus Geogra:|phicis Abrah. Ortelij". [Map of ancient France, from the geographical efforts of Abraham Ortelius]. (Lower right:) "Cum Priuilegio Imp. | Reg. et Cancel. Brab. | 1594". [With Imperial, Royal and council of Brabant privilege, 1594]. (Cartouche top right:) AMPLISS. VIRIS DD. | EDVARDO VAN DER | DILFT, ET CAROLO MA:|LINEO, NOBILITATE RE:|RVMQ. PERITIA CLARISS. | VRBISQ. ANTVERP. COSS. | ABRAH. ORTELIVS | L.M. DEDICABAT. | "Nomenclaturę et positionis loco:|rum huius tabulę testimonia, | pete ex Thesauro nostro | Geographico". [Abraham Ortelius of Antwerp has willingly dedicated this [map] to the most honoured men lord Edward van der Delft and Carolus from Mechelen, very famous in nobility and most renowned in matters of experience. For names and locations of places on this map, use our geographical Treasury].

Plate size: 396 x 495 mm.
Scale: 1 : 3,700,000
Identification number: Ort 196 (Koeman/Meurer: 27P, Karrow: 1/202, vdKrogtAN: 4000H:31C).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

1595L5Addblank ((100 copies printed) text and typesetting identical with 1595L, but without page number; last line first text page, right aligned: dicit; one but last line, full width: Tantus terror Gallici nominis & inuicta armorum felicitas erat, vt aliter neq. maiestatem suā tutam,neq. amissam recuperare se posse, sine Gallica virtute arbitrarentur:Sosipater ex Varronis Originem 2.),
1595LF (500 copies printed) (text and typesetting identical with 1595L5Add but here with page number F; last line first text page, right aligned: dicit; one but last line, full width: Tantus terror Gallici nominis & inuicta armorum felicitas erat, vt aliter neq. maiestatem suā tutam,neq. amissam recuperare se posse, sine Gallica virtute arbitrarentur:Sosipater ex Varronis Originem 2. | dicit),
1597G5Addblank (75 copies printed) (text identical to 1602G, but here without a page number; last line, left aligned but almost full width, in Gothic script: sen/mehr kan man von disem Franckreich lesen/bey obgemeltź "Cęsare, Liuio, Ammiano, Strabone, Diodoro, Polybio", und "Athanęo".),
1601Lxj and xij (200 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: paratu ; last line second text page, left aligned: Petronię Peroniam deam:in Sabini,Sabinos in Renię,tenos.&c. Adde hīc quę habet ipse Fuluius in Familiis Romanis fol.195.),
1602G11 (250 copies printed) (text identical with 1597G5Add, but here with page number 11; last line, almost full width, in Gothic script like the entire text: sen/mehr kan man von disem Frankreich lesen/bey obgemeltź "Cęsare, Liuio, Ammiano, Strabone, Diodoro, Polybio", und "Athanęo".),
1603Lxj (300 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting, identical with 1609/1612S/L; first text page ends, right-aligned: Gratiano-; second text page end, right aligned: humij),
1606Exj,xij (300 copies printed) (last line, first of five text pages, full width: middle part of it plainly prooueth,which being cut off from the rest about it,swimmeth like an Iland,and suffereth it selfe to be si.oued and drawne to and fro. Moreouer by those | places),
1608/1612Ixj, xij (300 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: neta ; last line second text page, right aligned: dal ; last line third text page, right aligned: dotti ; last line fourth text page, right aligned: niche ; last line fifth text page, right aligned: pecunia, ; last line sixth text page, left aligned: miglie de Romani ą car.195.),
1609/1612L/Sxj (600 copies printed) (text for both editions identical and in Latin. Text and page number, but not typesetting, identical with 1603L; first text page ends, right-aligned: Gratiano-; second text page end, right aligned: humij),
Bertius1619 (200 copies printed) included this map in his atlas with text identical to 1609/1612L/S but reset. Page signature VV (Last line first text page, right aligned: riferos; last line second text page, right aligned: dissitus; 7 text pages used in all.),
1624ParergonL/1641Sxv, xvj (1025 copies printed) (last line second column first text page: at Bituricę vitis meminit Plinius : item Aruernicę Dauus | hīc ; last line second column second text page: imbre lapidum ferunt: credas pluisse,adeņ multi & passim | & latč).

States: 196.1 as described.
196.2: from 1601 onwards, just North of the Pyrenees "MAVRI" was added twice; Northwest of the Jura mountain range, "SEQ:VA:NI." was added. "Marsi:lia" [Marseille] was changed to: "Massilia".

Approximate number of copies printed: 3850.

Cartographic sources: Strabo, Plinius, Vergilius, Ovidius, Cęsar and other classical sources.

Remarks: In contrast to plate Ort 194, this map is based on ancient geographical rather than on ancient military sources, and is much more detailed. It contains the largest amount of text to be found on any map by Ortelius (about 16,000 words in this translation), testifying the importance he attached to it. It contains all elements of Ortelius as a true Renaissance scholar. The discussion he devotes to this map is the civil counterpart of Ort 194, which both in appearance and accompanying text is devoted more exclusively to a military picture of France and its Druids. It has a heavy emphasis on Roman times, particularly as reported by the ancient geographer Strabo.

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