HIST 111: Ruin and Renewal: Europe to 1500 (HC)

This description of ancient Greece by the 2nd century C.E. geographer Pausanias was transmitted to the modern world through manuscript and the printing of this edition in 1551. Once called the "oldest guidebook in the world," Pausanias describes the natural and built environments as well as the customs of ancient Greece.

One of the most important geographers and map makers of the time, Abraham Ortelius produced what may be considered the first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in 1564. Ortelius was the first to notice the geometric similarities between the coasts of the Americas and Europe/Africa, suggesting continental drift. Map of the Americas from 1579.

Richard Hakluyt promoted the settlement of America with this 1589 publication which contains first-hand accounts of the New World. Included is a rare map of the world, the first of English origins to contain the Mercator projection.

In 1610 George Sandys traveled from England to France, Italy, Constantinople, Egypt, Mt. Sinai, Palestine, Cyprus, Sicily, Naples and Rome. His narrative of this trip is dedicated to the future Charles I and is an important source on georgaphy and ethnography of the Near East.

James Howell, an author of political and historical works, early in his career dedicated this text on foreign travel to Prince Charles in 1642. For this version published in 1650 Howell added a new section on Turkey and the Levant.

Londini, Impensis G. Bishop, 1600.
"written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie. Wherein he hath at large described, not onely the qualities, situations, and true distances of the regions, cities, townes, mountaines, riuers, and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa; but also the descents and families of their kings ... gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations, and partly out of the ancient records and chronicles of the Arabians and Mores. Before which, out of the best ancient and moderne writers, is prefixed a generall description of Africa, and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo."

"Relations of the world and the religions obserued in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the Flovd, the heathenish, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ..."
A compilation of a variety of travel and voyage narratives, which were added to over the course of various editions.
London : Printed by W. Stansby for H. Fetherstone, 1625.