The Column of Trajan in the light of ancient cartography and geography

► The Reliefs of the Column of Trajan are indebted to ancient survey practices and geographical concepts. ► The Reliefs depict a wealth of geographic information and depict the work of the surveyors and engineers. ► The imperialist ideological messages of landscape in the Reliefs are tied to those of ancient geographers. ► The format and mode of depiction of the Reliefs is indebted to practices and conventions of Roman surveyors.