Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 209

Title: LATIVM. | "Ex Conatibus Geographicis | Abrah. Ortelij Antverp". [Latium, from the geographical efforts of Abraham Ortelius of Antwerp]. (Lower right:) "Cum priuilegio decennali, | Imp. Reg. et Brabantiæ. | 1595". [With an imperial, royal and Brabant privilege]. (Cartouche upper left:) VIRO | NOBILI, ET | HISTORICO | ILLVSTRI, MAR:|CO VELSERO, PA:|TRICIO AVGVS:|TANO, ABRAHA:|MVS ORTELI:|VS DEDICA:|BAT, | L.M. [Dedicated by Abraham Ortelius to the noble gentleman and illustrious historian, the noble Marcus Velser Augustanus the patrician]. (Inset, 90 x 108 mm): MONS CIRCÆVS, AD | VIVVM DELINEATVS, AB | ANGELO BREVENTANO. [Mount Circæus, depicted true to nature by Angelo Breventanus]. (Low left:) "Caverni fatti dal flußo | et reflußo del mare, | dove tal hora se nascon|deno le fuste Turchesche". [Caves caused by the ebb and tide of the sea, where people hide themselves for the Turkish soldiers]. (Upper left centre:) "Sublacum, | in huius loci | monasterio Lac:|tantij opera excu:|sa sunt anno 1465." [In this place there is a monastery where the works of Lactantius were publised in 1465.] (Lower centre:) "Circæium | prom. et in | eo Circœia vrbs, | Hic Circes olim domus". [Cape Circaeium with on it the city of Circoeia. Here Circe once lived.] (Middle right:) FVCINVS LACVS, | "pelagi instar, et in quo pis:|cis octonis pinnis, Plin". [Lake Fucinus, or sea almost, in which there are fishes with eight fins, according to Plinius].

Plate size: 358 x 456 mm.
Scale: 1 : 300,000
Identification number: Ort 209 (Koeman/Meurer: 28P, Karrow: 1/203, van der Krogt AN: 7320H:31).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

1595L5Addblank (100 copies printed) (text and typesetting identical to 1595L, but without page number; last line first text page, right aligned: CIRCÆIVS; penultimate line, left aligned: rare operæ prætium duximus.),
1595LN (500 copies printed) (text and typesetting identical to 1595L5Add, but here with page number N; last line first text page, right aligned: CIRCÆIVS; penultimate line, left aligned: rare operæ prætium duximus.)
1597G5Addblank (75 copies printed) (identical with 1602G, but without a page number; last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: tags Citta Vecchia/die alte Statt gnant werden.),
1601Lxxj (200 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: Hæc & ; last line second text page, left aligned: tes,capita aut nauim , lusu teste vetustatis,exclamant. &c.),
1602G19 (250 copies printed) (identical with 1597G5Add but with page number 19; last line, left aligned, in Gothic script: tags Citta Vecchia/die alte Statt gnant werden.),
1603L rarely xxj or commonly xxiij (300 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting identical with the editions 1609/1612S/L; last line first text page, right aligned: REGINA ; last line second text page, left aligned: intelligitur in aleæ lusu, cùm pueri denarios in sublime iactantes, capita aut nauim,lusu teste vetustatis,exclamant.&c.),
1606Exxj (300 copies printed) (last line, first text page, full width: Sidonius LEGVM PATRIA, "The natiue soile where all good lawes are bred and borne," by Iustinian in his Code : LIBERTATIS PARENS, "The mother of li-|berty",),
1608/1612Ixxiij (300 copies printed) (one but last line first text page, in three columns: "Donna delle cose in vniuersale", Alicarnasseo "Miracolo del mondo", Cassiodoro "Vranopoli, cioè del cielo citta." next line, right aligned: Questo ; last line second text page, left aligned: li denari, gridano capi ò naue, essendo il giuoco testimonio dell'antichita : & quel che segue.),
1609/1612Sxxiij (text in Latin) = 1609L/1612Lxxiij (600 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting identical with 1603L; last line, first text page, right aligned: Regia; last line, second text page: vetustatis,exclamant.&c.),
1624LParergon/1641Sxxvij (1025 copies printed) (last line, first text page, second column, right aligned: MAGNA ; last line, second text page above two coins, full width, in cursive script: "in sublime iactantes,capita aut nauim,lusu teste vetustatis,exclamãt, &c.").

States: 209.1: no network around Rome (see below).
209.2: some time between 1595L and 1601L the plate was revised thoroughly. The network of Roman roads around Rome was added and named. Designation of the swamps was extended in the lower right and among others, VOLCI added.
209.3: in 1624 "Mammeus pons" (middle left) was changed to "Mammæus pons".

Approximate number of copies printed: 3650.

Cartographic sources: numerous classical authors, specifically Vergilius, Plinius, Varro, Halicarnasseus, Festus and Ausonius.

Remarks: the inset, mount Circeo (South-East of Rome), is the supposed dwelling place of the mythical goddess/witch Circe, who enchanted Odysseus and turned his companions into swine. Ortelius' source for this inset map, Angelo Breventano, is described by him as "a man of good credit,...and a most diligent searcher out of Roman antiquities".

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