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This elegantly engraved historical map, produced by Johann Andreas Pfeffel in Augsburg in the early 18th century, presents the Roman provinces of Pannonia, Dacia, Moesia, Illyricum, and Thrace as they were conceived in classical antiquity. Titled Tabula Veteris Pannoniae, Daciae et Illyrici, the map is based on ancient geographical knowledge derived from sources such as Ptolemy, Pliny, and Ammianus Marcellinus, and it was likely intended for use in the study of Roman history and classical geography during the Enlightenment.
Pfeffel’s composition spans a broad swath of southeastern Europe, from the upper Danube and the edge of Germania in the northwest to the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus) in the east, and southward to northern Macedonia and Thessalonica. The Carpathian Mountains divide the scene, with Dacia shown encircled by a bold red border on the Transylvanian plateau, while Moesia follows the curve of the Danube below. Pannonia occupies the western river basin; Illyricum and Macedonia stretch toward the Adriatic and Aegean Seas. Major rivers are clearly traced, and dozens of ancient place names—fortresses, towns, and provinces—are lettered in Latin, evoking the Roman imperial frontier at its peak.
A particularly striking feature is the large engraved vignette in the lower left: an allegorical tableau depicting Rome(?) as a seated female warrior, flanked by river gods and receiving tribute of a coat of arms while legions march in the background. The iconography celebrates Roman military triumph and imperial order, visually reinforcing the authority of the names and borders etched above.
![(Adriatic & Balkans) Tabula V Europae [Title on verso]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/102703.jpg)