Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 214

Title: QRAKH. | THRACIAE VETERIS TYPVS. | "Ex conatibus Geographicis Abrah. Ortelij". [Thraki (in Greek lettering) Map of Ancient Thrace, from the geographical efforts of Abraham Ortelius].
"Cum Imp. et Belgico privile:|gio decennali. 1585". [With an Imperial and Belgian Privilege for ten years. 1585]. (Cartouche in right top (13 lines of text) and right bottom (19 lines of text) on uncertain locations of places in Byzantium and Thracia respectively). [Lower right:] "Cyzicus vrbs | comparari potest | magnitudine, pul:|chritudine, et legib. | cum principibus | Asiæ civitatib. Strabo". [The city of Cyzicus may be compared in size, beauty and laws with the primary societies of Asia, according to Strabo]. (More text blocks in Topographical Names).

Plate size: 356 x 480 mm.
Scale: 1 : 1,000,000.
Identification number: Ort 214 (Koeman/Meurer: 25P, Karrow: 1/180, van der Krogt AN: 7760H:31).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:
1590L4Addblank (100 copies printed) (identical in text and typesetting to 1592L, but here no page number; last line, left aligned: atque in ea vndecim aut duodecim opida esse.Hunc numerum nos ex omni historia veteri superasse,docet tabula.),
1591G4Addblank (75 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: cher barbarischer menschen der Türcken gefallen/under Mahomet dem ersten dieses Namens/von dennen sie bißhero besessen/ec.),
1592L14 (525 copies printed) (identical in text and typesetting to 1590L4Add, but here with page number 14; last line, left aligned: atque in ea vndecim aut duodecim opida esse.Hunc numerum nos ex omni historia veteri superasse,docet tabula.),
1595LR (500 copies printed) (last line of first text page, right aligned: repletum.; penultimate line: pis nascitur,qui solis appulsu ignem inhalet.Plutarchus scribit,haud procul à Pangæo monte fontem esse,ex quo idem vas ; last line second text page, left aligned: Wolfg.Lazij volumen Rerum Græcarum adeat.),
1601Lxxvj (200 copies printed) (first textline ends: om- ; last line first text page, right aligned: aqua ; last line second text page, left aligned: Chersoneso nulla adhibita cultura copiosè crescere.),
1602G24 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script like the entire text: rischer menschen der Türcken gefallen/vnder Mahomet dem ersten dieses Namens/von dennen sie bißhero besessen/&c.),
1603L rarely xxvj, mostly xxviij (300 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting, identical with 1609/1612S/L which has all text on one page, whereas this edition has two text pages. First textline ends: omnium ; last line, right aligned, first text page: aqua ; last line second text page, left aligned: Chersoneso nulla adhibita cultura copiosè crescere.) ,
1606Exxvj (300 copies printed) (one-but-last line, first text page, cursive like the entire text, full width: "thither, may come safe and sound out againe : saue only the beast called" Cantharus : "these neuer come out from thence aliue, but they presently fall aturning | round" ; last line second text page, in cursive script, left aligned: "of meanes or diligence vines can be made to grow heere in any great abundance".),
1608/1612Ixxviij (300 copies printed) (last line, first text page, right aligned: porta ; last line second text page, left aligned: questo Chersoneso crescer il vino in copia , senza punto di coltiuatione.),
1609/1612Sxxviij (text in Latin) = 1609/1612Lxxviij (600 copies printed) (text and page number, but not typesetting, identical to 1603L, which has two text pages, whereas these editions have only one text page; last line, left aligned: adeat, & Agatiæ librum 5.legat. Mirum quòd Guilelmus Brussius scribit, vinum nempe in hac Chersoneso nulla adhibita cultura copiosè crescere.),
1618BertiusGGG (200 copies printed) (last line first text page, right aligned: lugentur ; last line second text page, left aligned: quod Guilielm.Brussius scribit, vinum nempe in hac Chersoneso nulla adhibita cultura copiosè crescere.),
1624P/1641Sxxxij (1025 copies printed) (last line first text page second column, right aligned: ex ; last line second text page second column, left aligned: crescere.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 4375.

States: 214.1 as described;
214.2: in 1595 the following topographical names were added: (Middle left:) "Autonomi", (Middle centre left) "Agriani", (Centre:) "Macrontichos", (Middle right:) "Chalcis et" ;
The name "Gammaides" was crossed out from the bottom right list of places of uncertain location.

Cartographic sources: made by Ortelius on the basis of Gastaldi's 1560 map of South-East Europe, (Meurer p. 153), and on information from ancient sources, specifically Herodotus, Plinius, Strabo, Appianus, Vergilius, Plutarchus and Sidonius.

Remarks: Bertius bought a number of sheets with this map and included the map in his historical 1618 atlas "Theatrum Geographiæ Veteris".

Text

Bibliographical sources

Topographical names