Map created by Sardis Verlag

The map above is one of the most detailed and interesting maps of the Roman Empire you’ll likely find online. It shows what the Empire looked like in 211 CE (aka 211 AD) at the end of the reign of Septimius Severus.

There lots of really cool things to point out about the map itself. For example:

You can see the Hadrian’s Wall and the less famous but more northern Antonine Wall.

There are 870 Roman cities and settlements within the Roman Empire and more than 90 cities and settlements outside of the Empire.

The headquarters of all 33 active legions.

120,00 km of Roman Roads.

Caravan, trade and sea routes

Oh and you can buy a copy here.

Why 211 CE? The reason 211 CE was picked was that this was roughly the height of the Roman Empire. The 4 Emperors that followed Septimius Severus were each assassinated, ultimately culminating in the Crisis of the Third Century, which almost resulted in the Empire’s total collapse.

Here are a few close-ups of sections of the maps:

The area around Rome (Roma) in Italy.

Notice the Roman city of Byzantium. In 330 AD it was renamed Constantinople and became the capital of the Roman Empire. Today it’s known as Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey.

Map of the Caucasus. Notice the Kingdom of Iberia and Caucasian Albania neither of which are where you’d expect them to be.

Britain and Ireland (Britannia & Hibernia) in 211 CE. While Britannia was part of the Roman Empire, Caledonia to the north (modern Scotland) and Hibernia (modern Ireland) were not. Septimius Severus died in Eboracum, modern day York.

To learn more about the Roman Empire have a look at:

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