What was the state of cartography in ancient Rome, and how did it evolve throughout the ancient Roman era?

by Tartantyco

To specify the timeline, from the founding of the Roman Republic around 500 BCE to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE.

What level of accuracy were they able to produce? How far did their maps extend? How detailed were maps? What equipment did they use to map the world? How did their cartographic skills compare to other civilizations at the time?

I_am_become_a_name

This is certainly an interesting question since only one map has survived antiquity, known as the Puetinger Map. My former Roman History professor is the go to guy for this subject so I'll point you in the right direction since all my knowledge on the subject comes from him. Book and high quality scans of the map itself.

Also here are some other articles on the subject:

  • J. B. Campbell. 2000. The writings of the Roman land surveyors : introduction, text, translation and commentary. London : Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies.
  • R. J. A. Talbert and K. Brodersen. 2004. Space in the Roman World: Its Perception and Presentation. Münster: Lit Verlag.
  • R. J. A. Talbert and R. W. Unger. edd. 2008. Cartography in antiquity and the Middle Ages : fresh perspectives, new methods. Leiden: Brill.
  • R. J. A. Talbert and K. A. Raaflaub. edd. 2010. Geography and Ethnography: Perceptions of the World in Pre-Modern Societies. Malden MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • R. J. A. Talbert. 2010. Rome’s World: The Peutinger Map Reconsidered. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Online database.
  • S. E. Alcock, J. P. Bodel, and R. J. A. Talbert. edd. 2012. Highways, Byways, and Road Systems in the Pre-Modern World. Malden MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • R. J. A. Talbert. ed. 2012. Ancient Perspectives: Maps and Their Place in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.