Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 207

Title: TVSCIAE | ANTIQVAE | TYPVS. | "Ex conatibus geographicis | Ab. Ortelij". [Map of ancient Tuscany, from the geographical efforts of Abraham Ortelius] (Cartouche middle right:) "Cum | priuilegio Impe:|riali et Belgico | ad decennium. | 1584". [With a ten year imperial and Belgian privilege. 1584.] (Cartouche lower left: list with names of uncertain locations in two columns). (Lower left:) "Squalet lucifugis insula plena | viris Rutil. lib.1". [This island lies waste, full of people as it is, who are afraid of the light.] (Lower left:) "Insula inexhaustis calibum | generosa metallis, Virg". [According to Vergilius, this island yields an inexhaustible supply of steel.] (Upper left:) "Auser fluuius hodie se | minime in Arnum exo:|nerat sed a Luca | mare recta | petit". [The river Auser, which now hardly empties itself in the river Arno, but goes directly to the sea.] (Upper centre right:) "Capras, ubi Toti:|las interfectus". [Capras, where Totilas was killed].

Plate size: 322 x 487 mm.
Scale: 1 : 750,000.
Identification number: Ort 207 (Koeman/Meurer: 11P, Karrow: 1/156, van der Krogt AN: 7200H:31A).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

1584L3Addblank (100 copies printed) (identical to 1584L, but here no page number; (last line, left aligned: Gręcis litteris erudiendos dabant. Liuius, Strabo, & Diodorus.),
1584G3Add11 in upper right corner (75 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: uius/ Strabo und Diodorus.),
1584L105 (750 copies printed) (identical to 1584L3Add, but here with page number; last line, left aligned: Gręcis litteris erudiendos dabant. Liuius, Strabo, & Diodorus.),
1585F3Add3 (75 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: tres Grecques , comme escriuent Liue, Strabon , & Diodore.),
1587F103 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: tres Grecques , comme escriuent Liue , Strabon , & Diodore.),
1592L11 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: insulis, si fides habenda Myrsilio Lesbio.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 1775.

States: 207.1 as described;
207.2: in 1587 some place names were added: "Tarchon et" (D3), "Abij" (D3), "Martha" (D3), "Raponium" (D3), LYDI. (E3), "Sylvani lu:|cus" (E3), "Minio flu". (E3), "Alesus flu". (E3), AVRELIVS | "Ager". (E3)
207.3: in 1592 more place names were added: "Etrusci | campi" (C1), PISANVS "Sinus" (B2), "Tuscos, villa Plinij" (D1), "Montes Cortinenses" (D1), "Soana" (D2), "Narnia" (E2), HIRPI, "qui | et" SORANI (E3), and "Obscum" (E3).

Cartographic sources: made by Ortelius, based on Bellarmati's map of Tuscany (Meurer p. 113, Karrow 10/1, p. 78-80), supplemented by classical sources, viz. Livius, Plinius, Cato, Vergilius, Halicarnassęus and Plutarchus.

Remarks: From 1595L onwards a new plate Ort 208 appears. In contrast to the present plate, the new plate has "LATII PARS" in cursive lettering above and below privilege cartouche. The ship sails westwards in this early plate Ort 207, eastwards in the late plate Ort 208.

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