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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileRomani Imperii imago
The map displays the Mediterranean basin and surrounding territories, rendered with hand-applied watercolor washes in muted tones of blue, green, and beige. A central, ornate cartouche titles the work 'Romani Imperii Imago', flanked by smaller circular emblem-like frames in the upper corners. In the lower-left, a large text block provides historical context, while a secondary red-bordered cartouche sits near the bottom center. The lower-right corner contains a rectangular inset filled with a grid of circular representations of Roman coinage, showcasing profiles of emperors and various inscriptions.
This map comes from the 'Parergon', a collection of historical maps by Ortelius that sought to reconstruct the geography of the ancient world to facilitate the humanist study of classical history and literature. It illustrates the Renaissance obsession with antiquarianism and the reconstruction of imperial power through cartographic record.
ROMANI IMPERII IMAGO [Bottom left block of Latin text] [Bottom center cartouche text]
Translation
Image of the Roman Empire
Abraham Ortelius, Parergon
This print is an original map from Ortelius's historical atlas, the Parergon, intended to accompany the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.
Object
IIIF Source
engraving
laid paper
Renaissance
Flemish
map
Digital Source
Allard Pierson, University of Amsterdam · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 19, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.