Gromatici for This Last Author, Probably Writing in the Fourth Century CE, Land Surveying Was a Well- JOHN W

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1 Gromatici For this last author, probably writing in the fourth century CE, land surveying was a well- JOHN W. M. PETERSON established profession that he linked to geography (geometrica) and mathematics The gromatici, named for the surveying instru- (geometria). Mathematical relationships also ment the groma, were instructors and (usually) appear in reality between Roman roads and practitioners of land survey. They wrote from land surveys, suggesting that the surveyors the Flavian period onward; the earliest surviv- were deliberately putting them in harmony. ing manuscript probably dates from the The corpus also contains some minor works sixth century CE. Some works are illustrated. and, in the libri coloniarum, details of Epigraphic and archaeological evidence sup- centuriation in part of Italy of the lands ports these sources and confirms the land of coloniae and other towns. surveyor’s role as planner and administrator, as well as expert witness. SEE ALSO: Ager publicus; Agrarian laws; The identity of most gromatici is Centuriation; Colonies, Roman and Latin uncertain but, despite the reservations of (republican); Colonies, Roman Empire (east); Campbell (2000: xxvii–xxviii), it is widely Colonies, Roman Empire (west); Land and accepted that the author FRONTINUS was, in landholding, Rome; Maps, Greece and Rome. fact, the technical writer and one-time gover- nor of Britain. Both Frontinus and BALBUS dem- onstrate the management role of the surveyor, REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS the former insisting that “even the smallest piece of land should be under the control of Campbell, B. (2000) The writings of the Roman the surveyor,” and the latter pointing to land surveyors. London. the crucial role he played in the conquest of Chouquer, G. and Favory, F. (1992) Les Arpenteurs romains: the´orie et pratique. Paris. DACIA. The function of military surveyors Dilke, O. A. W. (1971) The Roman land surveyors. as planners and cartographers is also Newton Abbot. made clear from inscriptions on coordinate Peterson, J. W. M. (1992) “Trigonometry in markers of the southern Tunisian survey. Roman cadastres.” In J.-Y. Guillaumin, ed., Other gromatici are: Hyginus (I and II), Mathe´matiques dans l’antiquite´: 185–203. Siculus Flaccus, and Agennius Urbicus. St.-E´ tienne. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine, and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 2998–2999. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah10039.

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