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[ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY]. POMPONIUS MELA (1st Century B.C. - 45 A.D. [?]). De Orb is Situ Libri Tres… Basel: Cratander, 1522. 4to. Illustrated with elaborate woodcut title-page and woodcut initials throughout. Lacking the folded map (map is found in only a few copies). Bound in modern full brown morocco, gilt spine, five raised bands (bookplate on fp., title-page toned, some holes in text, not affecting text). Fine. SECOND OF THE EDITIONS EDITED BY AND WITH SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY BY JOACHIM VADIANUS, THIS EDITION WITH THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF VADIANUS' APPENDIX. Pomponius Mela is considered an accurate review of European geographical knowledge before the discovery of the New World. De orbis situ libri tres dates from the first century A.D, and was first printed in 1471. It is the oldest surviving geographical text written in Latin. Mela's descriptions of Africa were used by the Portuguese sailors navigating the waters of the Atlantic for the first time. Mela's text (printed in Roman) is surrounded by extensive commentary in italic by Joachim Vadianus. The volume ends with an appendix, “Loca aliquot ex Vadiani commentarijs summatim repetita, & obiter explicata," consisting of Vadianus' study of Mela's work and attempting to address inconsistencies and problems in it. Additionally, the appendix has a coda consisting of a 1515 letter from Vadianus to Rudolph Agricola, the Younger, which briefly discusses Vespucci and the New World when discussing the Spanish empire. Lacking the folded map, found in only a few copies (whether all copies of the work were issued with a map has been long discussed and is without resolution: what we do know is that some have a map, most do not.) Harrisse, BAV, 157. Renouard, Paris, 2210. Landis 530/30. Sabin 63958 (not calling for a map). Graesse, V, 401 (not calling for a map).