John Speed's map of the Ancient Roman Empire, the admiration for imperial greatness

The map of the Ancient Roman Empire by John Speed represents one of the pinnacles of 17th-century English historical cartography. This majestic work, published in 1627, illustrates the territorial extent of the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion through an extraordinary combination of geographical precision and decorative richness.

The main cartographic representation occupies the central portion of the work, while the upper margin is adorned with miniature bird’s-eye views of the most important cities of the imperial era: Rome, Genoa, Jerusalem, Venice, Constantinople, and Alexandria. The side margins are animated by figures in costume representing the inhabitants of the different regions of the empire, creating a fascinating ethnographic compendium of antiquity. The overall atmosphere of the work conveys a sense of historical grandeur and encyclopedic curiosity typical of the time, when interest in the ancient world combined with new geographical discoveries and British imperial ambitions.

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Style
The work belongs to the stylistic context of early 17th-century English decorative cartography, a period characterized by the maturation of a national cartographic school that blends Northern European tradition with British sensibility. Speed’s style reflects the influence of Flemish and German engraving schools, particularly visible in the meticulous decorative detail and the technical quality of the execution. The compositional approach reveals the legacy of great Renaissance atlases, with particular reference to the works of Abraham Ortelius and Gerard Mercator, but reinterpreted through a distinctly English sensibility that prioritizes informational clarity and decorative elegance. The style of the figures in costume attests to the ethnographic interest of the period.

Color and lighting
The original color palette of the work is characterized by the sober elegance typical of copper engravings from the Stuart era, dominated by sepia and ochre tones that lend the whole a patina of antiquarian nobility. The lighting is conceived according to principles of uniformity that ensure the simultaneous legibility of all compositional elements, from the main cartographic lines to the finest decorative details. Shadows in the miniature views are suggested through subtle tonal gradations that give volume and depth without compromising drawing clarity. The luminous treatment of the figures in costume employs delicate contrasts that enhance the richness of the garments and accessories, creating a lively effect.

Spatial management
The spatial arrangement of the work reveals Speed’s mastery in organizing complex compositions that integrate elements of different nature and scale. The central geographic map is conceived according to the principles of 17th-century cartographic projection, with particular attention to proportionally rendering distances and the balanced distribution of continental masses. Geographic depth is suggested through dimensional variation of typographic characters and the skillful use of contour lines, which create a natural effect of visual hierarchy. The miniature city views employ aerial perspective to compress complex urban panoramas into limited spaces, maintaining the recognizability of key monuments and the landscape identity of each city.

The decorative space of the side margins is organized according to a vertical rhythm alternating male and female figures, creating a regular cadence that accompanies the reading of the map without distracting from it. The integration between cartographic space and decorative space is achieved through a system of frames and cartouches that clearly define the work’s different functional zones.

Composition and framing
The composition of the work is structured according to a tripartite scheme assigning specific functions to different areas of the representation. The geographic map occupies the central portion in a rectangular format optimizing the portrayal of the territorial proportions of the Roman Empire, from the Atlantic to the Black Sea and from Britannia to North Africa. The city views in the upper margin are arranged in an order reflecting the historical and strategic importance of each center: Rome occupies the central position as the empire’s capital, while the other cities are symmetrically distributed on either side according to criteria of compositional balance and geographical relevance.

The costume figures in the side margins create a lively frame that encloses the central map, alternating characters from various regions and social statuses to offer a comprehensive panorama of the human diversity of the empire. The overall compositional balance is guaranteed by the harmonious distribution of visual weight, with particular attention to balancing detail-rich zones and areas of visual rest that allow the eye to relax. The chosen geographic framing facilitates the understanding of the imperial extent.

Technique and materials
The work is made using the copperplate engraving technique, a process representing the apex of quality printing in 17th-century England. The paper support used is of high quality, characterized by fine grain and consistency that ensured the perfect rendering of engraved details and durability over time. The execution method combines the use of the burin for the main cartographic lines with etching for the finer textures of decorations and shading. The miniature city views required a particularly refined reduction technique, allowing the readability of architectural details despite their small size.

The crystalline sharpness of the linework gives the work a documentary precision fitting perfectly the map’s didactic and celebratory function. The richness of surface textures, obtained through complex systems of crosshatching and stippling, enriches the aesthetic reading of the whole without compromising cartographic functionality. The durability of the copper plate allowed for numerous print runs while maintaining image quality, a decisive factor for the commercial success and European diffusion of this work.