Illustrations from Roman surveyors’ manuals

Abstract

Summary The manuals of the Roman land surveyors (agrimensores) are accompanied in some of their manuscripts by illustrations. In the present article the miniatures in A (Wolfenbuttel, 6th‐7th century) and P (Vatican, 9th century) are analised under seven headings, as outlined on p. 12. A translation is given of the Latin text immediately preceding each miniature discussed, and comments are made on the text and the illustration. The article opens with a brief introduction to Roman land surveying and concludes with an appraisal of the illustrations. Although these often appear in corrupt form owing of successive copying and other factors, it is here maintained that they play an important and hitherto unduly neglected part in the history of cartography and of surveying.