Dura-Europos route map
The Dura-Europos route map, also known as stages map, is the fragment of a speciality map from
The map is the only road map of antiquity preserved in the original;[1] it is in the manuscript collection of the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris.[2]
Discovery
The
Description
The preserved fragment of the map is 0.45 m × 0.18 m (17.7 in × 7.1 in). Cumont assumed that the map originally had had a width of 0.65 m (26 in).
It is very likely that the places mentioned are stages of a march of the Cohors XX Palmyrenorum. Two blue lines under the names Ἰστρος, ποτ(αμός) and Δάνουβις ποτ(αμός) suggest rivers which were crossed during the march.
Reconstruction of the stages
The list of stages of the preserved part of the map after Cumont[6] is as follows:
The first part of the route corresponds to the route between Byzantium and the mouth of the Danube known from the Itinerarium Antonini and the Tabula Peutingeriana. Some of the cities are also mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmography. Following the map of Dura-Europos, the Danube is crossed after modern Histria and then advances into regions in which the Itinerarium Antonini and the Tabula Peutingeriana do not record any Roman roads.
Cartographic Characteristics
The fragment shows that the route map was oriented to the west. This is indicated by the direction of the writing and the arrangement of the décor. In addition to that, the westernmost point of the map, the river
Dating
The dating of the map fragment can be narrowed to the first half of the 3rd century.
Perception, importance and whereabouts
After its discovery by Cumont, the route map was soon forgotten again. In his 2004 publication of the weapons and military equipment of Dura-Europos, James mentions the map, but doubts that the fragment was part of a Roman shield.
Notes
- ^ Nabbefeld 2008, p. 41.
- ^ Archive number GR 1354(2) V.
- ^ Cumont 1925, p. 1f.
- ^ according to Cumont Tower 4.
- ^ Cumont 1925, p. 2.
- ^ Cumont 1925, p. 9.
- ^ Contrary to Cumont and following Uhden 1932, p. 118, this is equated with the mountain Chatyr-Dag.
- ^ Uhden 1932, p. 121f.
- ^ Nabbefeld 2008, p. 39f.
- ^ Simon James: The Arms and Armour and Other Military Equipment. Excavations at Dura-Europos 1928-1937, Volume 7. British Museum, p. 25.
- ^ Nabbefeld 2008, Catalog No. 712.
References
- Pascal Arnaud: Observations sur l'original du fragment de carte du pseudo-bouclier de Doura-Europos. Revue des études anciennes, No. 90, 1–2, Paris 1988. pp. 151–161.
- Pascal Arnaud: Une deuxième lecture du bouclier de Doura-Europos. Comptes rendus de l'Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, No.133-2, 1989. pp. 373–389.
- Pascal Arnaud: Pouvoir des mots et limites de la cartographie dans la géographie grecque et romaine. Dialogues d'histoire ancienne, 1989–15. pp. 9–29.
- Franz Cumont: Fragment de bouclier portant une liste d'étapes. Syria, No. 6-1, Paris 1925. pp. 1–15.
- Ansgar Nabbefeld: Roman shields.Studies on archaeological finds and iconographic evidence from the end of Republic to the late Roman period. Cologne 2008. ISBN 978-3-89646-138-4.
- René Rebuffat: Le bouclier de Doura. Syria, No. 63-1-2, Paris 1986, pp. 85–105.
- Richard Uhden: Bemerkungen zu dem römischen Kartenfragment von Dura Europos. Hermes 67, 1, Berlin 1932, pp. 117–125.