ORTELIUS, ABRAHAM: MAP OF PANNONIA AND ILLYRICUM

Inventory number 42

Original title: Pannonia et Illyrici veteris tabula

Publishing year: 1595

Place of publishing and publisher: Antwerpen

Format: 35 x 45 cm

Technique: Copper engraving

This is one of the historical maps representing the ancient times outline of the provinces of Pannonia and Illyricum designed by Abraham Ortelius upon antique sources. It shows the Roman Illyricum with administrative unit boundaries delineation as established by the emperor Diocletian in occasion of his reorganization of the Empire of 297. The annotations made by Ortelius reveal his recourse dating back to Antiquity: Strabon, Pliny and Antoninus. The list of localities that he identified in the written sources, but couldn't locate in the space is shown in the map's margin. The ancient names of various settlements are given, together with a number of ethnic names of various Illyrian tribes that inhabited the area: Seretes, Taurisci, Serapilli, Andiantes, Scordisci, Amantini. On the Adriatic coast are indicated the following place and ethnic names: Iapydes, Mazei et Mezai, Lopsi, Derriopes, Collentini, Varubari, Derrij, Tariotae, Phrygi, Epetini, Ceraunij, Kaurij, Comenij, Piguntiae, Onaei, Piraei, Narinsij, Enderudini, Daorsi et Daursij, Vardei qui et Ardei et forte Varalij, Sardiote, Siculotae, Docleatae, Bulimei, Labaetes, Pirustae i Scritones. The title is shown in a Renaissance cartouche with masquerons in the upper right corner of the map.

ORTELIUS, ABRAHAM

BRAHAM ORTELIUS (1527-1598), a 16th-century geographer and cartographer from Antwerp. He is the foremost Dutch cartographer of all times. After he studied engraving and cartography techniques, for a while he had made a living as a map illustrator. Yet, he made relatively small number of maps of his own. Today, only five maps are firmly recognized as personally drawn by him. The significance of Ortelius' work resides primarily in his efficiency at collecting of cartographic materials and in his atlas-making activities. Up to the year 1570 he gathered 70 maps, that he bound to form a book of the "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", considered the world's first atlas in the modern sense. His atlas consisted of the maps produced by him or by other cartographers drawn upon various sources. On each map Ortelius identified the author of the map used as model, or the source the map was based upon. To the maps of the "Theatrum" the "Catalogus Auctorum" was appended, which is a list with the names of the cartographers known to him (87 names) and their works. Ortelius' atlas drew a great attention comparable only to the success that had Ptolemy's Geography. The "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" went through 41 editions. How great Ortelius' reputation established by the success of his atlas was, can be seen from the fact that in 1575 he was designated royal geographer of Phillip II of Spain. Likewise Ptolemy's work, the "Theatrum" was enlarged in subsequent years trough the addition of new maps (the Additamenta").