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[SCIENCE AND MEDICINE] - MELA Pomponius (1st century AD) - [Classical Geography – The Earliest Latin Treatise On Geography – Rare 1498 Venetian Edition] - Pomponius Mela “De situ orbis”. Venice: Simone Bevilacqua, 1498. In-4. 38 cc. Complete. 18th century cardboard binding. ISTC im00454000 A rare Venetian edition of the “De situ orbis of Pomponius Mela”, the earliest surviving Latin treatise on geography, composed in the first century AD. In three books (Liber Primus, Secundus, Tertius). Roman type, woodcut initials. All leaves were professionally restored against worm damage; a few pages with small losses affecting single letters, yet the text remains legible. Complete. Despite these restorations, the edition is of great rarity: ISTC records only 22 surviving copies worldwide. Pomponius Mela’s De situ orbis is the only formal treatise on geography in classical Latin literature, predating the rediscovery of Ptolemy’s Geographia. Its concise, systematic account of the known world ensured its profound influence on medieval and Renaissance scholarship. •⁠> This lot is located in and ships from the UK. No export license is required for values under £65,000; above this threshold, a UK export license will be needed. Import duties and taxes in the destination country are the buyer's responsibility.