"Subway map" style ancient Roman road map

**Paul** · 10-21-2007, 11:25 PM

The map at the following link presents an interesting style. It make no attempt to be geographically accurate. What it does is present the Roman road network in Europe in a manner that makes it easy for a commander on the march to establish best routes and determine how many days it will take. This paricular map is a 1624 replica of Roman map that is much older.

Many scans here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1624-Ortelius-PE...QQcmdZViewItem

It's an interestigng approach I hadn't thought about using. It also has some nice style effects.

**Valarian** · 10-22-2007, 03:39 AM

This is an interesting style, it's informative as far as it goes but I feel that the information can get lost in the pictorial representation. It's almost trying too hard to be a geographical map and an informative map.

The medieval strip map was also a means to show routes rather than strict geography. Personally, I find this style easier to read. Here's a masterful example of the style done by Allyn Bowker.

**ravells** · 10-22-2007, 06:59 AM

Those 1600 computers had a really good 'inner glow'! what caught my eye about the map was the chap sat in the throne and the big tower. It's never really occured to me to put in symbols like those (oversized). And why not?

**Valarian** · 10-22-2007, 07:41 AM

A lot of medieval maps use size of the image for a city or town to denote importance.

**Paul** · 10-22-2007, 04:19 PM

According to the auction write-up, many of the large figures are patron gods or famous figures associtated with the cities they represent. (Like having a large pirate next to Tampa and a large cowboy next to Dallas, perhaps.)