The Low Countries – Abraham Ortelius, 1603

THE LOW COUNTRIES IN ROMAN TIMES

“Belgii Veteris Typus” (map of the ancient Low Countries), copper engraving by Abraham Ortelius, dated 1594, shown here in a 1603 edition. With beautiful original hand colouring. Size: 37.7 × 49.2 cm.

On the reverse of this map from his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum atlas, the renowned Antwerp cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527–1598) describes the historical roots of the region he calls Belgio—a territory roughly covering present-day Belgium, parts of northern France, the southern Netherlands, and western Germany.

Ortelius draws upon the writings of classical authors such as Caesar, Pliny, Strabo, and Plutarch, who describe the Belgae as the bravest and most warlike people of Gaul. They lived in a harsh climate, far removed from Roman luxury, and were known for their simplicity, strength, and martial spirit.

The exact origin of the name Belgio, according to Ortelius, remains unclear: some link it to the Latin word bellum (war), others to a city or tribe named Belga. The text reveals that “Belgium” in antiquity referred more to a cultural and military region than to a precisely defined territory.

Ortelius concludes his account with a modest remark: he leaves it to the reader to assess the varied historical sources. His aim is not to deliver the final word, but to assemble voices from the past that together form a picture of what was once the valiant heart of Gaul. As he himself writes in the lower-left cartouche:

“Prisca vetustatis Belga monumenta recludit
Ortelius, priscas dum legit historias.
Collige prima soli natalis semina Belga,
Et de quo veteri sis novus ipse vide.”

(By studying books on ancient history, Ortelius rediscovered the antique monuments of the Netherlands in Roman times, Collect, reader, the first grains of your native soil, and learn from which ancestors you are the offspring.)

Literature:

• “Ortelius Atlas Maps”, Marcel van den Broecke (2011), Ort198

Price: Euro 575,-