Greece - Tempe Valley; Ortelius - Tempe - 1581-1600

The sheet depicts a view of the Tempe Valley in Greece, created by the famous Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527–1598). The illustration combines mythological and real elements and was published in 1590 as part of the ‘Parergon’ – a supplementary volume to the first modern atlas, the ‘Theatrum Orbis Terrarum’

At the centre lies the narrow valley of the River Peneios (now Pineios), which forms the border between ancient Macedonia in the north and Thessaly in the south. To the north, the mighty Mount Olympus towers over the valley, whilst Mount Ossa is depicted to the south. Along the riverbanks, Ortelius depicts groups of people making music, dancing or offering burnt sacrifices. A temple of Jupiter can also be seen at the river’s mouth.

Sheet size 37 x 49 cm

Condition
The sheet has been cleaned, the centre fold smoothed out; there is also some wear there, and a small hole (see photo), otherwise very good condition