8vo, [80], 586, [6] pp, woodcut printer's device on title page, woodcut world map on p. 140. Some other woodcut diagrams. Brown stains on p. 305-310. Some pale marginal waterstains. Modern vellum binding
Ref. Shirley nr.13 ; Baudrier VIII 116. This work, written by Ambrosius Macrobius, is a commentary on Cicero's ""Dream of Scipio"". It includes a rare woodcut map of the world illustrating Cicero's interesting theories. Macrobius depicted the world divided into five distinct climate zones; northern frigid zone, northern temperate zone (most of Europe and Asia), an uninhabited equatorial zone which includes a 'boiling sea' (Alveus Oceani), a temperate southern zone and finally a frigid southern zone. Macrobius was a 5th century Roman Neoplatonic philosopher. His commentary included an exploration of the nature of dreams based on Greek dream-theory. It became the foundation of much early medieval dream-theory. The commentary on Cicero's Somnium Sciponis was of great influence in the Middle Ages and gained popularity with the advent of printing
