Geographiae libri octo... ac emendatis per Gerardum Mercatorem

Rare second edition of Gerard Mercator's Cl Ptolemaei Alexandrini Geographiae Libri Octo:, printed from the 28 unaltered plates of the 1578 edition (the text on verso has been reset). The translation is that of Wilibald Pirkheimer, an esteemed humanist friend of Dürer, edited by Arnoldus Mylius, an essential publisher in Cologne, who dedicated the book to the famous cartographer Abraham Ortelius, a rival of Mercator but also his friend and admirer, so much so that he nicknamed him "the Ptolemy of our times".

‘When Mercator's Ptolemaeus atlas was reprinted in 1584, this time with texts on verso, this text closely resembles the texts of Ortelius' Nomencalator Ptolemaicus. Mylius dedicates this second edition of Mercator's Ptolemy to Ortelius to express his gratitude and that of Mercator for Ortelius' help’ (M. van den Broecke in: A World of Innovation. Cartography in the Time of Gerhard Mercator, p.172). 

Ortelius named Mercator as 'the Ptolemy of our time', and he engraved these copper plates as part of a cosmography which he planned to publish in five volumes. In the event, the Ptolemaic maps published here, and the four parts of the section of modern maps, were the only works Mercator published before he died in 1594. 

Mercator began his ambitious project of describing the world in all its aspects, with the Ptolemaic maps forming part of one volume devoted to geography (together with sections on modern and historical maps).
The Geographia and four parts of the section of modern maps were the only works Mercator published before he died in 1594.

Mercator's Ptolemaic maps first appeared in Duisburg in 1578 as Tabulae Geographicae Cl: Ptoleme̜i ('The Geographical Tables of Cl. Ptolemy'). Karrow calls this a first edition. Still, as this printing lacked Ptolemy's text (the essence of any Ptolemy since no actual maps by Ptolemy survive), it should be considered a different book. 

This edition of the book - Karrow's second edition, but the first edition to include the body of Ptolemy's work, translated by Pirckheimer and edited by Mylius - was printed in Cologne in 1584. The plates were later passed to Jodocus Hondius, his successor, who issued editions in the early 17th century. In 1694, the plates were auctioned to François Halma (1653 - 1722), who reworked them and published editions in 1695, 1698, and 1704. A final edition was published in 1730 by R. and J. Wetstein and G. Smith. 

Some 20 examples of the 1584 Ptolemy are cataloged in institutional collections. 

Engraved title with a world map, a letterpress dedication to Abraham Ortelius, 28 Ptolemaic maps, complete with the additional single-page map, woodcut initials, diagrams, and typographical ornaments. The map section opens with Mercator's fantastic double-page Ptolemaic world map, which presents the iconic image in a classically Dutch style with strapwork geometry surrounding the winds. This is followed by the traditional suite of ten European maps, five African maps (the Egyptian map is a single-page production), and twelve Asian maps. Descriptive text appears on the recto and sometimes on the verso of the map.

1. Vniversalis tabvla ivxta Ptoemaevm. In qua tres continentis partes, Europa, Africa, & Asia, quatenus ipsius tempore innotuerant, delineatae sunt --
2. Evropae tabvla I. In qua insulae Britannicae duae, Hibernia & Albion cum minoribus adiacentibus describuntur
3. Evropae tabvla II. In qua describuntur Hispaniae, quam Graeci Iberiam vocant, tres prouinciae Baetica, Lusitania, & Tarraconensis
4. Evropae tabvla III. Continet Galliae, Graecis Geltogalatiae, quatuor prouincias, Aquitaniam, Lugdunensem, Belgicam, & Narbonensem
5. Evropa tabvla IIII. Continet Germaniam magnam
6. Evropae tabvla V. Continet Raetiam, Noricum, vtramque Pannoniam & Illyricum
7. Evropae tabvla VI. Continet Itialiam & Cyrnum siue Corsicam insulam
8. Evropae tabvla VII. Continet Sardiniam & Siciliam insulas
9. Evropae tabvla VIII. Continet Samartiam Europae & Tauricum Chersonesum
10. Evropae tabvla IX. Continet Iazyges Metanastas, Daciam, Mysiam superiorem, Mysiam interiorem, & Thraciam
11. Evropae tabvla X. Continens Macedoniam, Epirum, Achaiam cum Euboea insula, Peloponnesum & Cretam insulam
12. Africae tabvla I. Continet ambas Mauritanias, Tingitanam & Caesariensem
13. Africae tabvla II. Continet Africam minorem
14. Africae tabvla III. Continet Cyrenaicam & Aegyptum
15. Appendix III in tabvlae Afr: (showing the Nile Delta)
16. Africae tabvla IIII. Continet Libyam interiorem, Aethiopiam quae sub Aegypto est, & Aethiopiam interiorem
17. Asiae tabvla I. Continet Pontum cum Bithynia, Asiam proprie[m] dictam, Lyciam, Galatiam, Pamphyliam, Cappadociam, Armeniam minorem, & Ciliciam
18. Asiae tabvla II. Continet Sarmatiam Asiaticam
19. Asiae tabvla III. Continet Colchidem, Iberiam, Albaniam, & Armeniam maiorem
20. Asiae tabvla IIII. Continet Cyprum, Syriam, cuius pars est Palestina, quae & Iudaea, Arabiam Petr[a]eam, Mesopotamiam, Arabiam desertam, Babyloniam
21. Asiae tabvla V. Continet Assyriam, Mediam, Susianam, Persidem, Parthiam, Carmaniam desertam
22. Asiae tabvla VI. Continet Arabiam Foelicem & Carmaniam
23. Asiae tabvla VII. Continet Hyrcaniam, Margianam, Bactrianam, Sogdianam, Sacas, & Scythiam intra Imaum
24. Asiae tabvla VIII. Continet Scythiam extra Imaum montem & Sericam
25. Asiae tabvla IX. Continet Ariam, Paropanisum, Drangianam, Arachosiam, & Gedrosiam
26. Asiae tabvla X. In qua continentur India, intra Gangem fluuium
27. Asiae tabvla XI. Continet Indiam extra Gangem & Sinas
28. Asiae tabvla XII. Continet Taprobanam. 

The atlas has an engraved title, seven text woodcuts, and 28 engraved maps, all double-page except one. Old name canceled on lower blank margin of title, small stain in upper outer blank margin throughout not touching text or engraved surface of maps, some foxing and light uniform toning of the paper, generally a good copy bound in 18th century half calf, spine in compartments with leather labels and gilt; corners slightly worn. Mercator's Geographia was first published by Gottfried von Kempen in 1576 without the text (but with the indices) and reissued by him in two 1584 editions, one with and one without the text.

Gerard Mercator (March 5, 1512 - December 2, 1594) was born near Antwerp as Gerard de Cremere in Rupelmonde. He studied Latin, mathematics, and religion in Rupelmonde before his Uncle, Gisbert, a priest, arranged for him to be sent to Hertogenbosch to study under the Brothers of the Common Life. There he was taught by the celebrated Dutch humanist Georgius Macropedius (Joris van Lanckvelt; April 1487 - July 1558). There, he changed his name, adapting the Latin term for 'Merchant', that is 'Mercator'.

He was one of the most outstanding geographers of the 16th century and was already highly appreciated by his contemporaries for his studies of cartography and the invention of a projection system that bears his name. 

He went on to study at the University of Louvain. After some time, he left Louvain to travel extensively, but returned in 1534 to study mathematics under Gemma Frisius (1508 - 1555).  Mercator was accused of heresy in 1552. His accusations were partially due to his Protestant faith and partly due to his travels, which aroused suspicion. After being released from prison with the support of the University of Louvain, he resumed his cartographic work. During this period, he became a close friend to English polymath John Dee (1527 - 1609), who arrived in Louvain in 1548 and maintained a lifelong correspondence with Mercator. 

In 1552 Mercator set himself up as a cartographer in Duisburg and began work on his revised edition of Ptolemy's Geographia. He also taught mathematics in Duisburg from 1559 to 1562. In 1564, he became the Court Cosmographer to Duke Wilhelm of Cleve. During this period, he began to perfect the novel projection for which he is best remembered. The 'Mercator Projection' was first used in 1569 for a massive world map on 18 sheets. 

Claudius Ptolemy (83 - 161 AD) is the father of cartography. A native of Alexandria living at the height of the Roman Empire, Ptolemy was renowned as a student of Astronomy and Geography. His work as an astronomer, as published in his Almagest, held considerable influence over Western thought until Isaac Newton. His cartographic influence remains to this day. 
Ptolemy's text was lost to Western Europe in the Middle Ages, but survived in the Arab world and was passed along to the Greek world. Although the original text almost certainly did not include maps, the instructions in the text of Ptolemy's Geographiae allowed the execution of such maps.

Willibald Pirckheimer (December 5, 1470 - December 22, 1530) was a German lawyer and humanist. He was close friends with artist Albrecht Dürer and theologian Erasmus. He became a member of a group of humanists that included Hartmann Schedel (he of the 1493 Liber Chronicarum). He translated an array of classical texts into German and produced an edition of Ptolemy's Geographia in 1525. (This would provide the basis for the text of Mercator's 1584 Ptolemy.

Reference: Sabin 66491. Koeman Me2. Van der Krogt 1:502.