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This early 18th-century two-sheet map offers a fascinating representation of ancient Greece.
The map is divided into two sections—Gracia Pars Septentrionalis (Northern Greece) and Gracia Pars Meridionalis (Southern Greece)—and covers the broader region, including parts of Asia Minor and the adjacent seas. It focuses on illustrating the geographic layout and travel routes of the classical world, as indicated by the reference to ancient roads and distances in the title.
The upper sheet depicts Graecia Septentrionalis, encompassing Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace. Key ancient cities such as Thessalonica (modern Thessaloniki), Philippi, and Amphipolis are prominently marked. The coastline of the Mare Thracium (Thracian Sea) and parts of Asia Minor near the Propontis (Sea of Marmara) and Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) are included, emphasizing the interconnectedness of Greece with surrounding regions. Meanwhile, Graecia Meridionalis covers central and southern Greece, including major regions such as Attica, Boeotia, Laconia, and Messenia. The map highlights the Peloponnesus (modern Peloponnese), featuring significant ancient cities like Sparta, Argos, and Corinth. Several islands of the Aegean Sea, such as Crete, Rhodes, and the Cyclades, are detailed, reflecting their importance as centers of trade and culture in antiquity.
This map emerged during a period of heightened European interest in classical antiquity, spurred by the Renaissance and the expansion of classical studies in the 17th and 18th centuries. Maps like this were used primarily by scholars and students to visualize the geography of ancient texts, linking historical narratives to physical spaces. The detailed road networks and distances between cities suggest a secondary function as a reference for ancient travel and logistics, offering insights into the connectivity of the classical Greek world.
John Senex (1678-1740) was one of the foremost mapmakers in England in the early eighteenth century. He was also a surveyor, globemaker, and geographer. As a young man, he was apprenticed to Robert Clavell, a bookseller. He worked with several mapmakers over the course of his career, including Jeremiah Seller and Charles Price. In 1728, Senex was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, a rarity for mapmakers. The Fellowship reflects his career-long association as engraver to the Society and publisher of maps by Edmund Halley, among other luminaries. He is best known for his English Atlas (1714), which remained in print until the 1760s. After his death in 1740 his widow, Mary, carried on the business until 1755. Thereafter, his stock was acquired by William Herbert and Robert Sayer (maps) and James Ferguson (globes).
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