Atlas Antiquus, Sacer, Ecclesiasticus et Profanus; In quo Terrae Sanctae variae divisiones, Dioiesesium Patriarchalium & Episcopalium limites, Orbisque universus antiquus, prout erat olim excultus & divisus, oculis subjiciuntur; ... Collectus ex Tabulis Geographicis Nic. Sansonis, ejus Filiorum, aliorumque celebrium Geographorum. Tabulas ordine collocavit & emendavit Joannes Clericus. ...

Large folio (530 x 340 mm). Comprising engraved pictorial title-page, letterpress title-page printed red and black, Latin title page with vignette, 5pp. Preface and Address to the Reader, 1pp. index, 90 maps in original outline colour, most double-page, one on two sheets joined, double-page table. The preliminary pages are included in the numbering of the maps, the last of which is numbered 100. Lacks 65 (Calendarium Romanorum & perpetuum) and 89 (Regnum Troianum). Contemporary mottled calf, rebacked and repaired, seven raised bands and red morocco label with gilt lettering to spine; boards worn. Amsterdam : Johannes Covens & Cornelis Mortier,

Johannes le Clerc (1657-1736; alternatively Johannes Clericus) was a noted historian of the bible and classical period. Born in Geneva, he settled in Amsterdam, where he composed a series of histories. The most famous of these is his Atlas Antiquus, 1705, an atlas of the biblical and classical periods, illustrated with 89 maps, in imitation of Ortelius' Parergon, with maps copied from those by the Sanson family, Philippe de la Rue, Pierre Duval and others.

Among the most famous of them is the map of the Americas, positing that continent as the location of the legendary Atlantis.

Of the many classical atlases, this is the largest in map numbers and format, and closest to rivalling Ortelius' in quality of engraving, production and colouring, while being considerably scarcer.

Le Clerc’s Atlas Antiquus was first published in 1705. Pieter Mortier’s heirs, his son Cornelis Mortier and son-in-law Johannes Covens, took over the business in 1721, and proceeded to reprint his different atlases.

This second edition of the Atlas Antiquus has Pieter Mortier’s imprint replaced by that of the successor firm, Covens and Mortier, with plate numbers inserted throughout.

The second edition is the scarcer of the two; indeed, Koeman only described this edition in the footnotes appended to his collation of the First Edition.

References: Koeman, III, Mor 4, notes; Shirley, T.CLER-1c.

Stock Code: 207499