1782 Delisle de Sales Map of France during the Invasion of Julius Caesar

This is a scarce 1782 map issued by Jean- Baptiste-Claude Delisle de Sales depicting Gaul or France at the time of the invasion by Julius Caesar. The map covers from the English Channel south as far as the Mediterranean and Florence in modern day Italy. The map identifies several important cities and towns and uses ancient names throughout. Rivers, islands, and other topography is noted with forests and mountains rendered in profile.

Gaul was the ancient name of a region of Western Europe which comprises of modern day France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany west of the Rhine. It also included most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy and parts of Netherland. The map depicts the region during the Gallic Wars of 58-51 BC. Originally meant to be a defensive action to protect the borders, the Gallic Wars are believed to have been fought primarily to provide Caesar with wealth and popularity and to boost his political career rather than being a defensive action as described by Caesar. Following the war, all of Gaul came under the control of the Roman Empire and remained under Roman control for almost 500 years before it fell to the Franks in AD 486. The campaigns are described by Caesar in his book Commentarii de Bello Gallico.

This map was issued as part of Delisle de Sales' Histoire des Hommes. Partie de l'Histoire Moderne. This volume is exceedingly rare as most of Sales' work was burnt under the censorship of heresy.