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Pomponius Mela : Pomponii Melae Philosophi Celeberrimi de Orbis Situ

Hentri Petri, Basle, c. 1564

Rebacked expertly saving the 18th-century full calf boards, spine in six compartments of raised bands and gilt lines, gilt floral motifs in each, gilt text to two and six, endpapers renewed. , An excellent copy, 12mo (165 x 105 mm)., P. title, blank, (12), blank (2), 1-95, printer’s device, Title page contains printer’s device, elaborate initials. 20 folding maps of different locations around the known world.

1. Africa 7.1
2. Mauritania 9.2
3. Numidia 11.3
4. Cyrenaica 13.4
5. Aegyptus 16.5
6. Syria 20.6
7. Pamphilia 24.7
8. Scythia Europea 36.1
9. Thracia 40.9
10. Macedonia 45.10
11. Italia 51.11
12. Gallia Narbonensis 55.12
13. Hispania 58.13
14. Germania 75.14
15. Scythia 78.15
16. India 85.16
17. Sinus Persicus 88.17
18. Sinus Arabicus 89.19
19. Aethiopia 91
20. Atlantici Maris Ora et Insulae

Text in Latin
Pomponius Mela, who wrote around AD 43, was the earliest Roman geographer. The general views of the De situ orbis mainly agree with those current among Greek writers from Eratosthenes to Strabo. But Pomponius is unique among ancient geographers in that, after dividing the earth into five zones, of which two only were habitable, he asserts the existence of antichthones, inhabiting the southern temperate zone inaccessible to the folk of the northern temperate regions from the unbearable heat of the intervening torrid belt., Shirley II G.MELA-1b; King 49

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