Africae Propriae Tabula, In qua, Punica regna uides, Tyrios, et Agenoris urbem.

Title

Africae Propriae Tabula, In qua, Punica regna uides, Tyrios, et Agenoris urbem.

Description

Map shows the northern coast of Africa between present-day Algeria (Mauritaniae Caesariensis) and Libya (Libyae Interioris pars). The Carthaginian Empire (today's Tunisia and Libya) is at the centre of the map. The islands of Sicily and Malta are also depicted. This map is based on Gastaldi's famous eight-sheet map of Africa. At the top right is a title cartouche below which is a text dedicating the map to the honourable and illustrious Lord Christophorus of Assonleville. Lord Christophorus was the ruler of Altevilla as well as a knight, diplomat and advisor to King Philip II. This is one of two Ortelius maps dedicated to him. Also below is a partial map of Carthage and an index surrounded by a magnificent scrollwork cartouche. Reverse in Latin, page III.

ca. 1601

Artist

Ortelius (1527-1598)

Abraham Ortelius, (1527 - 1598) Antwerp, comes from an Augsburg family and was born in Antwerp, Spain, where he lived throughout his life. After thorough training, he joined the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1547 as a card painter. In 1554 he took over an antiquarian bookshop that mainly deals with the coloring, distribution and publishing of maps. Basically he is more of a publisher than a scholar. And so he also made the acquaintance of another great man of his time, Gerhard Mercator (1512-1594), who encouraged him to draw cards and to make maps of the most varied of countries. His first cartographic work of his own is a large 8-sheet map of the world that appears in Antwerp in 1564. This is followed by a two-sheet map of Egypt (1565) and another of Asia (1567). The great achievement of Ortelius, who was one of the most famous European cartographers of his time, and the enthusiastic reception of his theater, mark a decisive turning point in the history of the world map. The new path is mapped out with the Theatrum. For the general view of the world, the appearance of Ortelius-Theatrum is important insofar as it emphatically confirms that America is a completely independent continent, which is also not connected to the Asian mainland mass at its northern tip. Ortelius was the first to come up with the idea of ​​producing a handy collection of reliable maps, all kept in the same format and only by the same author for each country. These sheets could also be bound into a book for easy storage and use. Mercator, who also realized the idea of ​​a world atlas from 1569, persuaded his friend to publish the famous Theatrum Orbis Terrarrum. Ortelius collected, traveled, corresponded and negotiated for 10 years before he could have his work printed in the best European printing house (Plantijn / Amsterdam). In addition to technical difficulties, Ortelius had to submit to the political / religious conditions, since maps were also subject to strict scrutiny during the Inquisition. Biblical scenes are pleasant, portraits of outstanding Catholics are welcome, but not family coats of arms or other emblems that could be politically suspect. On May 20, 1570, his first edition of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first collection of maps in book form, was published, financed and edited by Gillis Hooftman, an Antwerp merchant, banker and shipowner. Atlases did not yet have this name at that time. This collection was published between 1570 and 1612 in 42 editions and in 7 languages: Latin, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, English and Italian. Unlike his professional colleagues, he clearly referenced the sources of his maps and texts. The work contains, among other things, an illustration of the world known until 1492 and was therefore already looking back at the time the map was created.

Historical Description

Today's Tunisia experienced the establishment of commercial branches by settlers from the eastern Mediterranean at the beginning of the historical records. According to legend, it was Queen Élyssa, sister of the king of Tyr, Pygmalion, who founded the city. Carthage became the greatest power of the western Mediterranean in 150 years. The influence came partly through colonization, but mostly through commercial branches and contracts. This power and the high agricultural potential of the Carthaginian motherland led to the awakening of the interest of the young, strengthening Roman Empire and a confrontation that culminated in the three Punic Wars. Carthage, with its troops led by Hannibal, was able to bring the Roman Empire to the brink of defeat several times during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC). At the end of the Third Punic War (149-146 BC) the city of Carthage was besieged for three years and ultimately destroyed. The area of today's Tunisia became part of the Roman province of Africa with capital Utica. Africa, along with Egypt, became one of the most important suppliers of agricultural products in Rome. Above all, Africa supplied grain and olive oil. Christianity spread quickly, especially through the arrival of settlers, traders and soldiers. Carthage became known in this regard that the influential Christian apologist Tertullian lived and worked here, so that North Africa soon developed into one of several centers of Christianity. The first Arab advances into what is now Tunisia began in 647. Unlike previous conquerors, the Arabs were not satisfied with just occupying the coastal areas, but also set out to conquer the interior. From the first third of the 12th century, Tunisia was subjected to frequent attacks by the Normans from Sicily and southern Italy. The economic boom caused the Almohadic century to go down in history as the golden age of the Maghreb, when large cities developed with magnificent mosques and scientists like Ibn Chaldūn worked. From the second half of the 14th century, the Hafsids slowly lost control of their territory and came under the influence of the Merinids of Abu Inan Faris, especially after the lost Battle of Kairouan (1348). In 1705 Husain I. ibn Ali made himself a Bey of Tunis and founded the Husainid dynasty. Tunisia achieved a high degree of independence among the Husainids, although it was still officially an Ottoman province. Ahmad I. al-Husain, who ruled from 1837 to 1855, initiated a modernization push with important reforms such as the abolition of slavery or the adoption of a constitution.