Funny enough, Augustus commissioned one of the first public use maps - a big engraved map of the Empire in Rome that people were allowed to copy down and spread. This is a 19th century reproduction of an earlier reproduction, but it’s thought that this is the map in question.
Ah yes, the old “graph of landmarks” style of map. Highly underrated in my opinion, some people have a mental GPS but fuck me if I do. It’s suggested sometimes that they didn’t think of making the other kind, but given the fact that they did land surveys and had words for cardinal directions I doubt it. They just didn’t see the use, and didn’t make the connection with arithmetic and algebra until Descartes thought to add in a vertical axis.
One thing I’ve looked for that doesn’t exist is a modern periplus with GPS coordinates of the landmarks included. It could be way more compact than a traditional atlas, but just as useful.
Funny enough, Augustus commissioned one of the first public use maps - a big engraved map of the Empire in Rome that people were allowed to copy down and spread. This is a 19th century reproduction of an earlier reproduction, but it’s thought that this is the map in question.
Ah yes, the old “graph of landmarks” style of map. Highly underrated in my opinion, some people have a mental GPS but fuck me if I do. It’s suggested sometimes that they didn’t think of making the other kind, but given the fact that they did land surveys and had words for cardinal directions I doubt it. They just didn’t see the use, and didn’t make the connection with arithmetic and algebra until Descartes thought to add in a vertical axis.
One thing I’ve looked for that doesn’t exist is a modern periplus with GPS coordinates of the landmarks included. It could be way more compact than a traditional atlas, but just as useful.
Wow, very cool! And much wider than I was expecting.
Wide map is wide.