ABSTRACT
T h e b e g i n n i n g of the f i r s t b o o k , with a particular description of some of the greater circles and of the property of the earth.
old gave the name of world and sky and other names to that which embraces all things in its ambit1, and they called it East or Orient where the sun rises2 and West [or]2 Occident where it sets and the intervening space South and North. What is here briefly set forth concerns only the greater circles. On this subject, they affirmed, moreover, that the earth is set in the centre3 and is surrounded on every side by the sea; and that the earth is divided into two parts or hemispheres from east to west and on the east into five zones4; the middle zone, which is called the equinoctial zone or the zone of primary movement, is distressed by the great heat of the sun, but is nevertheless well peopled; it is believed that the colour of the Ethiopians is so black because
1 Literal translation of passages in P. Mela, De Situ Orbis, book i, chap. 3. * Text slightly corrupt. 3 Cf. De Situ Orbis, book 1, chap. 4. 4 The division of the earth’s surface into zones, corresponding to the zones
into which astronomers divided the heavens, goes back to classical times. The number of such zones was unanimously set at five, commonly designated as Septentrionalis, Solstitialis, Equinoctialis, Brumalis (or Hyemalis) and Australis, but there was considerable difference of opinion concerning their habitability. The prevailing view down to the middle of the mediaeval period was that the two polar zones and the equatorial zone were uninhabitable, the former by reason of cold, and the latter by reason of heat. Later opinion was inclined to reject the inhabitability of the equatorial zone, because of growing evidence that there were people living near the equator. Pacheco of course had to reject the traditional belief about the Torrid Zone, but he still held to the view, common in the Middle Ages, that an Antipodean race inhabited the southern temperate zone; although part of this southern zone was discovered in his own day, he nowhere suggests that South Africa is the home of the Antipodes. The reason for this may be that, in the popular imagination, the home of these people was in an “ austral continent.” On the general question of the Antipodes and “ Terra Australis” vide A. Rainaud, he Continent Austral.
