Fine old color example of Abraham Ortelius' view of the mythical paradise of Tempe in Thessaly, Greece.

Located at the foot of Mount Olympus, this valley was known as the playground of the gods. The Pineios River, named after the river god Peneus, curves through the valley, separating Macedonian lands and Thessaly lands. On the banks, Bay Laurel trees grow, whose aromatic leaves were used in chaplets to crown the victors of the Pythian Games.

The view features scenes of merry-making, feasting, and dancing, but with the striking and prominent mountain peaks. Tempe also alludes to the power of the gods. Moreover, with an engraved temple and alter of Jupiter featured, Ortelius' Tempe is truly a nod to the mythical, magical, and fabled. The view was based on information from ancient sources, specifically, the writings of Ovidius, Athenaeus, Plinius, Herodotus, and Aelianus.