Pomponius Mela
Pomponius Mela was a geographer and cosmography of the ancient world from Tingentera on the north shore of the Strait of Gibraltar. During the years of 43-44 AD, ie in the early Roman Empire, he wrote a description of the then known geographical world. Their title is De Chorographia libri tres, Cosmographia, or De situ orbis.
Work
Melas work is considered the oldest geographical work that was written in Latin. It is known from over a hundred manuscripts and later editions, together with extensions. Among other things, Francesco Petrarca and Giovanni Boccaccio transcripts could make. It was highly valued by scholars and inquisitive always, because in many places Melas work, such as the Taunus, Trier, Main, parts of Lake Constance and Scandinavia, mountains and rivers are mentioned for the first time. Mela describes a voyage on which he explains topographic details, sights and islands portrays. He reported realistic details of fauna and flora, in the emerge among other fantastic mythical creatures, he introduces the occupants of individual regions, and tells her story, of their customs and the various religions, especially around the Mediterranean.
Melas representations relate primarily to older, mostly Greek sources such as Homer, Hanno and Cornelius Nepos.
In the era of discoveries Melas work was considered very important, so let customize for the expedition to Brazil, among others, the physician and astronomer of King Manuel of Portugal, Joan Faras, a Spanish translation. The discoverer of Brazil Pedro Álvares Cabral likewise had provided with many handwritten annotations Latin edition of De Melas Chorographia, which was published in 1498 in Salamanca.
The writing of Pomponius Mela was later referred to as De situ orbis.
Editions and translations
- Kai Brodersen (ed.): Pomponius Mela - cruise through the Old World. Lat.-dt., University Press, Darmstadt 1994, ISBN 3-534-12349-2.
- De orbis situ: libri tres. / Cum commentariis Ioachimi Vadiani. Lutetiae Paris: Christian Wechel, Digitized June 1530 issue of the University and State Library Dusseldorf.