Pomponius Mela was among the earliest Roman geographers and the author of the only extant geographical treatise in Classical Latin, known as ‘De situ orbis’ (43 CE). 

He was born in southern Spain and lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Mela is believed to have relocated to Rome with other classical thinkers such as Seneca and Quintilian. 

On the whole, Mela’s geographical theories mirror his contemporaries, however, his choice to split the world into five zones was entirely unique. He described the equator as intolerably hot. Mela based his descriptions on the coasts and developed his knowledge from written maritime accounts. His geographical treatise remained highly influential throughout the Age of Exploration.

Credit: Title page of Vadianus' first edition of Pomponius Mela work dated 1518 - Americana: Catalogue no. 600, Frankfurt am Main, Joseph Baer & Co., s.d., p. 31, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons