Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 211

Title: SICILIAE | VETERIS | TYPVS. | "Ex conatibus geographicis A. Ortelij." [Map of Ancient Sicily from the geographical efforts of Abraham Ortelius]. (Top left centre:) "Cum priuilegio decennali Imp. | Reg. & cancellariæ Braban:|tiæ 1584". [With an Imperial, Royal and Council of Brabant Privilege for ten years. 1584.] (Bottom left corner:) "Veteris Siciliæ loca, incertæ aut pror:|sus incognitæ positionis" [Places on Ancient Sicily of uncertain or formerly unknown location], followed by a 7-column list). (Inset: 110 x 100 mm:) "Territorij Syrcusani loca, in:|certæ positionis: Acrillæ, Echetla, Magel:|la". [Places in the Syracuse area or uncertain location, viz. Acrillæ, Echetla and Magella] (Mid right:) "Erij montes, vel | Eræi, fertilitatis | admirandæ". [The Erij or Eræi mountains, admirable for their fertility]. (Mid right:) "Pergus lacus, | et vmbilicus | Siciliæ Hic | Proserpinam à Plutone | captam fe:|runt". [Lake Pergus, also the navel of Sicily. Here Proserpina was captured by Pluto]. (Midright:) "Aetna mons, Cælestis | columna Pindaro". [Mount Aetna, pillar of heaven, according to Pindarus]. (Textblock above the three islands west of Sicily, removed between 1592 and 1595 saying;) "Locaricum, et ad | oliuam urbes, ha:|bet Anton. inter | Hijccaram et Li:|lijbæum". [Locaricum, and the cities near the olive trees between Hijccara and Lilijbæum, according to Antoninus]. (More textblocks under Topographical names).

Plate size: 369 x 486 mm.
Scale: 1 : 825,000. Inset: 1 : 160,000.
Identification number: Ort 211 (Koeman/Meurer: 10P, Karrow: 1/157, van der Krogt AN: 7510H:31).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:
1584L3Addblank (100 copies printed) (identical to 1584L, but here without page number; last line, left aligned: cupiens vitare Charybdin; quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1584G3Add13 in upper right corner (75 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, partly in Gothic script: "indicit in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charybdim", von welchem du lesen magst in Adagijs "Erasmi Roterodami".),
1585F3Add (75 copies printed) (last line, full width: aupres de l'Isle vers l'Orient, s'appele aussi la mer Ausoniêne: &dit qu'elle est fort profonde.),
1584L106 (750 copies printed) (identical to 1584L3Add, but here with page number; last line, left aligned: cupiens vitare Charybdin; quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1587F104 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: vers l'Orient,s'appelle aussi la mer Ausonienne: & dit qu'elle est fort profonde.),
1592L12 (525 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: piens vitare Charybdin.quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1595LP (500 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: piens vitare Charybdum.quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1601Lxxiij (200 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: vitare Charybdim.quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1602G21 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, partly in Gothic script: Incidit in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charybdim,won welchen du lesen magst in Adagijs Erasmi Roterdami.),
1603Lxxv (300 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting, identical to 1609/1612S/L; 4th line from the bottom ends: Cal (also a variant with Ca-); last line, left aligned: vitate Charybdim. quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1606Exxiij (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script: "Chiliades"),
1608/1612Ixxv (300 copies printed) (last line, full width, in cursive script like the bottom half of the text: "antro in Scilla, desiderando di guardar si da Cariddi: le quali notitie vedi in Erasmo, doue raccoglie li prouerbij con libro grande".),
1609/1612Sxxv (text in Latin), = 1609/1612Lxxv (600 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting, identical to 1603L; 4th line from the bottom ends: Capi- ; last line, left aligned: vitate Charybdim. quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1617/1619BertiusDDD (200 copies printed) (text the same as Theatrum 1609/1612 but reset. Last line, left aligned: cupiens vitare Charybdim. quæ vide apud Erasmum.),
1624ParergonL/1641Sxxix (1025 copies printed) (last line second column first text page, right aligned: rabili- ; last line second column second text page, left aligned: smum.).

States: 211.1 as described.
211.2: between 1584 and 1587 "Cyane fons" was added in lower right corner, E3.
211.3: between 1587 and 1592 "Alba flu." was added in low centre, C3.
211.4: between 1592 and 1595, the text block above the three islands west of Sicily saying "Locaricum, et ad | oliuam vrbes, ha:|bet Anton. inter | Hijccaram et Li:|lijbaeum" [Locaricum and the cities near the olive trees according to Antoninus situated between the isles of Hijccara and Lilijbaeus] was removed and replaced by irregular dots, whereas the surrounding dots in the sea have a regular vertical pattern; "Eryx mons, Ad Olivam" & "Locaricum" were added middle left, B2; "Pirina, Comitianæ" & "Picinianæ" were added in centre C2.
211.5: after 1595L and before 1601, the sea under descriptions is no longer clear, but stippling has been added; "Engynum | Ptol." was added in lower right, D3; the first ornamental curve to the right of the cartouche with place names of uncertain location which used to be blank is now stippled, B3.
211.6: R.W. Bremner (personal communication) notes that in 1624LParergon "philippi" in the extreme left bottom corner has been changed to "Philippi".

Approximate number of copies printed: 5450.

Cartographic sources: made by Ortelius, based on Gastaldi's 1545 map of Sicily (Meurer p. 96, Karrow p. 218), supplemented by classical sources, viz. Plinius, Strabo, Dionysus and Hesiodus.

Text

Bibliographical sources

Topographical names