Germaniae Veteris, Typus

Stunning and decorative map showing central Europe in ancient times.

This bold map covers a large territory in central Europe, between the Adriatic and Baltic Seas and from the Moselle to the Vistula Rivers. Rudimentary geographic features are depicted pictorially, and place names reflect the region in ancient times. Apart from the title, two decorative strapwork cartouches surround a dedicatory panel (lower right) and a list of places and people whose location is unknown.

The map was originally created by Abraham Ortelius (duly credited), who incorporated information from a number of classical sources like Cato, Tacitus, and Julius Caesar. This particular example was published later, in the mid-17th century, by the Blaeu family in Amsterdam.