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The first Roman geography of the world, including the Arabian peninsula and the Gulf,
in the rare 1502 edition of its first accurate printed text

MELA, Pomponius.
De situ orbis Hermolai Barbari fideliter emendatus.
[Venice], (colophon: printed by Albertino da Vercelli, 14 May 1502). Small 4to (20.5 x 15.5 cm). With printed guide letters left for manuscript initials (not filled in). Gold-tooled red half sheepskin (ca. 1820?). XXIIII ll.
€ 6,500
Rare 1502 edition, the third in the best and most important early recension of Pomponius Mela's description of the world, written ca. AD 43, the earliest surviving geographical work in Latin and one of Pliny's most important sources, perhaps the most important for geography. Pomponius describes Europe, Africa and Asia, the three together surrounded by the ocean. He was at born in southern Spain (we don't know where he wrote) and shows a more detailed and more accurate knowledge of Spain, France and the British Isles than earlier writers (giving us our first known reference to the Orkney Islands) and even knows of the existence of Scandinavia. But he also devotes book I, chapter VI to "Arabia", which includes not only the Arabian peninsula but also "Syria" (which includes what is now Iraq) and other parts of the Middle East, and his description of India in book III, chapter IV, gives further information about what seem to be the Arabian and Iranian coasts of the Gulf, Egypt, Iraq, the island of Masirah and the cities of Aden and Harran.
With a few early manuscript notes and the armorial bookplate of the Bibliotheca Giustiniani, showing the (1773?) arms of the Padua branch of the family, but perhaps nevertheless referring to the library of the Venetian palace acquired in 1590 by the Genoese Giuseppe Giustiniani, which dispersed some of its treasures in the late 19th century. With a small worm hole in the lower gutter margin of the first 6 leaves, a defect in the paper in the lower outside corner of the first leaf, sewing holes from an earlier binding visible in the gutter of 2 leaves, some slight browning and an occasional minor spot, but still in good condition. With the hinges worn and some damage to the corners (with the loss of both headbands), but the binding is otherwise good. EDIT16, BVEE001701; USTC 841937; cf. Adams M1056-1065 (eds. of 1522-1595); BMC STC Italian, pp. 431-432 (other eds.).
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Related Subjects:

Early printing & manuscripts  >  Cartography & Exploration | History, Law & Philosophy
History, law & philosophy  >  Archaeology & Classical Antiquity
Middle east & islamic world  >  Cartography & Exploration