MELA, Pomponius (fl. 37-42 A.D.). Cosmographia, sive de situ orbis. – DIONYSIUS PERIEGETES (fl. first half of 2nd c. A.D.). De situ orbis. Translated by Priscianus. Venice: Erhard Ratdolt, 18 July 1482.

First illustrated edition of the earliest surviving Latin work on geography. The woodcut map "Nouvellae etati ad geographie," is only the second known woodcut map printed in Italy (Campbell, p. 119). It is also the first to depict current Portuguese knowledge of the west coast of Africa, which led only six years later to the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope. Campbell suggests that the edition's printer, Erhard Ratdolt, may have been the mapmaker, since this and his T-O map of 1480 are the two earliest woodcut maps printed in Italy. The map was copied for a Salamanca edition and, with greater impact, in the Nuremberg Chronicle (see lot 23). This text contains the first edition of Priscianus's verse translation of Dionysius De situ orbis; Ratdolt's is the only incunabula edition to contain both geographical treatises. BMC V, 286; BSB-Ink. P-687; Campbell, Earliest Maps, 91; Church 1; Essling 275; Goff M-452; HC *11019; Klebs 675.6; Redgrave, Ratdolt, 28; ISTC im00452000.

Chancery quarto (197 x 140mm). 48 leaves. Woodcut map (map with small repair at border, leaves trimmed, grazing marginal annotations and fore-edge border of map, a2 with some soiling and short repaired tear at gutter, very faint dampstain to lower half of leaves, more pronounced in last two gatherings). Modern vellum. Provenance: early annotations throughout – Howard Lehman Goodhart (1884–1952; label; gifted to his daughter:) – Phyllis Goodhart Gordan (1913–1994; leather label); by descent.