Among the earliest Roman geographers, and author of the only extant geographical treatise in Classical Latin. Mela was born in southern Spain, and seems to have lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius, because of a reference in his work to the Emperor's proposed expedition to Britain in 43CE. His famous geographical treatise, ‘De Situ Orbis’, remained highly influential throughout the following centuries until the Age of Exploration began.

Bust of Roman geographer, Pomponius Mela, a man with short hair and a beard, wearing robes.