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Leading To Rome
The only surviving copy of an Imperial Roman road map went on public display in Austria's National Library on Monday.
The Tabula Peutingeriana shows the road network of the Roman Empire's Cursus publicus or courier service, extending from Europe, Persia, India and North Africa. It's in the form of a scroll, 6.5 metres long and only 35cm high: This causes the projection of the map to look somewhat stylised, but features such as the "Boot" and "Heel" of Italy and the island of Sicily are perfectly clear.
Rome is at the heart of the map, which sets it apart from medieval maps, where Jerusalem is placed at the centre of the world (plus ça change...). Twelve roads radiate from the capital, including the Via Appia, which can be followed still.
Each road, marked on the map in red, is fairly straight, but notches are marked at regular intervals, said to show daily rest stops. Markings show how far can be travelled in a day. Hundreds of towns and rests are depicted with images of villas and other buildings: Along with Rome, the other most prominent cities are Constantinople and Antioch.
According to the BBC's report, the map is best thought of as a practical document, "more like a plan of the London Underground than a map."
Wikipedia says the Tabula Peutingeriana was made in Colmar, France, in the 13th century - the BBC places it in either Germany or Southern Austria. The copy is thought to be based on a 5th century original. Its condition dictates that it cannot be placed on public display - Monday's exhibition was a one-off to celebrate the map being placed on UNESCO's "Memory of the World" Register.
A facsimile of the map is also available on Wikipedia.
