Plattegrond van Rome ten tijde van keizer Augustus (bovenste blad) 1561 - 1602

This is Jacob Bos’s “Plattegrond van Rome ten tijde van keizer Augustus,” a detailed engraving illustrating Rome during the reign of Emperor Augustus, made sometime between 1520 and 1580. Bos lived in an era of European exploration, and of the rediscovery of classical texts and art. It was a time of renewed interest in the classical world, and the visual representation of ancient Rome served to connect the present with a glorious past. Bos’s map not only reconstructs the city’s physical layout but also evokes the socio-political atmosphere of Augustan Rome, when the empire was at its height. This map is a statement about power. It implies the cultural and political ambitions of 16th-century Europe, drawing parallels between the Roman Empire and contemporary European powers. It also invites us to consider whose stories are deemed important enough to preserve and represent. While we admire the map's detail, we might also ask ourselves about what remains unmapped or overlooked, and whose perspectives are missing from this historical vision.