Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was a Flemish geographer who produced the first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570) which contained 70 maps, the largest collection of the time. Although many of his maps were copies, and some were inaccurate, they were the best available. In 1575 he became geographer to the court of Philip II of Spain, where he continued to publish studies of ancient geography and travel accounts. Ortelius was also a collector and dealer in rare antiquities and maps.