Pomponio Mela - De Situ Orbis - 1761

THE ANCIENT WORLD ILLUSTRATED: MANUSCRIPTS, EMPIRE, AND ILLUMINIST CARTOGRAPHY
This 1761 edition of De situ orbis by Pomponius Mela represents a significant moment in the Enlightenment rediscovery of classical geography, filtered through the English philological rigor and enriched by a modern cartographic apparatus. The text, based on the collation of manuscript codes from England and Ireland, fits into that erudite tradition that aims to restore the ancient world in its purest form, while at the same time rereading it in light of new geographical knowledge. The 26 engraved and folded maps (here with one missing) transform the work from a simple classical text into a visual tool for interpreting the world, creating a dialogue between Roman geography and modern cartography. The copy perfectly testifies to this transition: from the authority of the text to its scientific visualization.
MARKET VALUE
The illustrated seventeenth- and eighteenth-century editions of De situ orbis with cartographic apparatus are relatively sought after, especially when maps are complete and in good condition. Complete copies generally range between 700 and 1,400 euros, with upper figures for copies that are particularly fresh or with high-quality contemporary bindings.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Later half-leather binding with corners, four raised bands on the spine with a black label and gold title. Illustrated with 26 maps engraved on copper and folded. Maps show physiological foxing and browning; contemporary ownership marks are present, adding historical interest to the copy. In old books with a multi-century history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (6); 2nn; 64; 30nn; (6).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
De situ orbis libri tres.
Etonae, Joseph Pote, 1761.
Pomponius Mela.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Pomponio Mela’s De situ orbis, composed in the 1st century CE, is one of the oldest Latin geographical works that has come down to us, and it constitutes a fundamental testimony of the Roman worldview of the world. The 1761 edition fits into the English philological tradition, characterized by a strong interest in the critical reconstruction of ancient texts through systematic manuscript comparison. The addition of a rich cartographic apparatus reflects the evolution of geographical knowledge: the ancient text is no longer merely studied but reinterpreted and “mapped” according to modern knowledge. This type of edition marks the shift from descriptive geography to a visual and comparative science, where the ancient becomes the basis for a new global understanding.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Pomponio Mela (1st century CE) was a Roman geographer from Hispania Baetica. Active under Emperor Claudius, he is the author of De situ orbis, a geographic compendium in three books that describes the known world according to a periplographic structure, i.e., following coasts and seas. His work, though concise, enjoyed a long fortune in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, becoming a reference text for ancient geographic knowledge up to the modern era.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
De situ orbis enjoyed wide dissemination in print from the 15th century, with numerous humanistic and Renaissance editions, often accompanied by scholarly commentaries. In the eighteenth century, interest in the text was renewed thanks to critical philology and integration with cartographic tools. The Eaton edition (Joseph Pote) of 1761 stands out for its attention to British manuscripts and for the set of maps, placing itself in the context of English antiquarian culture. The presence of folded engraved plates makes these editions particularly vulnerable to loss, as in the described copy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: to be verified for the Eaton 1761 edition (record not uniquely identified without further data)
WorldCat: Pomponius Mela, De situ orbis, Eaton (Reading), 1761 (OCLC to be verified for variants)
British Library Catalogue: editions of Pomponius Mela from the 18th century, including English printings with cartographic apparatus
Brunet, Manuel du libraire, III, col. 1647 (entry Mela)
Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux, IV, p. 488
Sabin, Dictionary of Books Relating to America, no. 47474 (for editions with geographic interest)
Goff, Incunabula in American Libraries (for history of the print tradition, early editions)
To verify: the complete number of geographical maps intended in the Eaton 1761 edition and precise identification of the missing map