Antiquissima orbis delineatio
1648
About this artwork
This map is a 17th-century engraving representing the ancient world view as described in Macrobius's commentary on the Somnium Scipionis. It illustrates the known continents and the concept of an inhabited southern landmass, separated by an equatorial ocean.
Did you know?
This map illustrates the ancient Greek and Roman geographical belief in the 'Antichthones' or 'counter-inhabitants' of a southern continent. Philippe Briet, a French Jesuit, included this reproduction in his work to preserve the geographical theories of antiquity for 17th-century scholars. The design reflects the 'zonal' theory of the Earth, where a hot, uninhabitable equatorial zone was thought to separate the northern world from a mysterious southern land.
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Antiquissima orbis delineatio
Philippe Briet, 1648
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