Lot 4721: Rudbeck, Olof (1630-1702). , Atland eller Manheim dedan Japhetz afkomme... Atlantica sive Manheim vera Japheti posterorum sedes ac patria. Uppsala: Hendrik Curio, [1679]-1689-1699

3 volumes (of 5), folio (306 x 197mm., 312 x 197mm. & 292 x 188mm.), [8], 891, [1]; [16], 43, [1], 672, [8]; [2], 762pp., parallel Latin and Swedish text, illustration : 2 engraved frontispieces, woodcut maps, illustrations (some full-page) and initials, binding : volume 1: contemporary mottled vellum, spine gilt in compartments, volume 2: eighteenth-century speckled calf, spine gilt in compartments, volume 3: contemporary calf, sides ruled in blind, spine gilt in compartments, a few annotations in red ink in volume 1, lacking final text volume and atlas, lacking leaf 'Ad bibliopegas' at the end of volume 1 (as often), title-page of volume 3 torn with slight loss and laid down, a few of the woodcuts in volume 3 slightly trimmed, small tear on upper cover of volume 1, other 2 volumes slightly rubbed, tears on lower cover of volume 3

BL STC Scandinavian R424, R428 & R429; Collijn (1600-Talet) 784-785

Rudbeck's study of ancient mythology and medieval chronicles led him to believe that Plato's Atlantis referred to old Uppsala, and in this work he used this belief to provide historical justification for Sweden's claim to be a great European power. His attempts to reconcile classical authority with contemporary empirical observation caused great interest among European writers of the eighteenth century. An atlas volume was published in 1679, and a fourth volume of text in 1702, of which only three complete copies are known, as much of the edition was destroyed in the great Uppsala fire of 1702.