Ptolemy s geography at lacuscurtius english translation extracts of ptolemy on the country of the seres china english translation 1st critical edition of geography book 8, by aubrey diller. As ptolemy suggested in book 1 ofthe geography, much of marinussworking life was devoted to this task. The original work included maps, but due to the difficulties involved in copying them by hand, the original maps have mostly fallen out of the manuscript transmission, with the notable exception of minuscule 3686. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. It rises in the western limits of germany, as also near the recess of the adriatic at a distance from it of about one thousand stadia, and comes to an end at the pontus not very far from the outlets of the tyras 6 and the borysthenes, 7 bending from its easterly course approximately towards the north. He wrote books on astrology, astronomy, and geography, and each of these contributes a significant amount of knowledge to our understanding of the shape of natural sciences in europe. Ptolemys famous geographical directory gd, popularly known as the geography or geographia, and said to be the mostwrittenof work in all the history of geography. A cdrom accompanies the book, offering a searchable database freeware of ptolemy s geography. Ptolemy divided his geography into eight sections books.
Ptolemys geography is the only book on cartography to have survived from the classical period and one of the most influential scientific works of all time. He states that the parallel of rhodes, 36n, is approximately 72000 stadia for the 1800, i. A t the end of book vii of ptolemys geography one finds the discussion. Book i is a treatise on cartography, describing the methods used to assemble and arrange ptolemys data. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Most of these methods can be effective only insofar as ptolemys geography is regarded as an example. Geographical guidance, also known by its latin names as the geographia and the cosmographia, is a gazetteer, an atlas, and a treatise on cartography, compiling the geographical knowledge of the 2ndcentury roman empire. Written in the second century ad, for more than fifteen centuries, it was the most detailed topography of europe and asia available and the best reference on how to gather data and draw maps. In book 7 chapter 5, ptolemy lists the lengths of the parallels which make up the length of the oikoumene of 1800. The book that is now generally known as the almagest from a hybrid of arabic and greek, the greatest was called by ptolemy he mathematike syntaxis the mathematical collection because he believed that its subject, the motions of the heavenly bodies, could be explained in mathematical terms. In his geography, ptolemy gathered all the geographic knowledge possessed by the grecoroman world. As it is known, the importance of ptolemys geographia had declined for almost 10 centuries coming back in th c. The horoscopes local time is converted to alexandria time anciently standard for ephemerides of celestial objects positions using the longitude e vs alexandria in.
The geography itself also provides at least one clue, listing the egyptian city of. It seems likely that the topographical tables in books 2 7 are cumulative texts texts which were altered and added to as new knowledge became available in the centuries after ptolemy. A best seller both in the age of luxurious manuscripts and in that of print, ptolemy s geography became immensely influential. Jan 15, 2002 ptolemy s geography is the only book on cartography to have survived from the classical period and one of the most influential scientific works of all time. An annotated translation of the theoretical chapters new ed by ptolemy, ptolemy, berggren, j. Ptolemy synonyms, ptolemy pronunciation, ptolemy translation, english dictionary definition of ptolemy. Ptolemys geography, book vii, chapters 6 and 7 jstor. Ptolemys geography, book vii, chapters 6 and 7 by 0. He conceded that this projection had its drawbacks. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a. A best seller both in the age of luxurious manuscripts and in that of print, ptolemy s geography.
He obviously included many accounts in addition to those already known before his time. Claudius ptolemaeus circa 100circa 170, known as ptolemy, was an astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of greek descent who lived and worked in the egyptian city of alexandria. Ptolemy s geography the book which inspired columbus to attempt his voyage, and remains the model of all systematic atlaseswas dedicated to popes gregory xii and alexander v by its. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In the book amalgest, ptolemy provided a blend of mathematics and geography in which he sought to provide a model for astronomical functions. He states that the parallel of rhodes, 36n, is approximately 72000 stadia. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Though inaccurate due to ptolemy s varying methods of measurement and use of outdated data, geography of claudius ptolemy is nonetheless an excellent example of ancient geographical. It allows us to see not only the region through ptolemys eyes in the second. Written in the second century ad, for more than fifteen centuries it was the most detailed topography of europe and asia available.
At the end of book vii of ptolemy s geography one finds the discussion of a representation of the terrestrial globe in the plane as seen by an observer who is placed in the plane of the parallel of latitude which passes through syene. Ptolemys geography is a long and detailed guide to drawing a map of. Geography ptolemy project gutenberg selfpublishing. Revival of ptolemy old greek manuscripts, including ptolemys geography, from destruction. Chapter 6 of book vii, 236 david pingree on ptolemys method of. Ptolemy made contributions to astronomy, mathematics, geography, musical theory, and optics. Ptolemys geography, an annotated translation of the theoretical. Relevant famous people plato 375 philosopher alexander the great 330 conquered babylon strabo 10 geography pliny 70 natural history plutarch 100 concerning nature the face in the moon marinus of tyre 120 geography ptolemy. Book one, a discussion of the data and of the methods used. The ptolemy geographical directorys final book 8 is described in the paper as astrologers handiest tables since unlike books 2 7 it is designed, entirely in hours, for the direct convenience of one casting a horoscope. It allows us to see not only the region through ptolemys eyes in the second century ad. Like ptolemys writings on astronomy and optics, the geography is a highly original work, and it had a profound in. No signs are necessary for b, since no b is west of the bi. Written in the second century ad, for more than fifteen centuries it was the most detailed topography of europe and asia available and the best reference on how to gather data and draw maps.
Ptolemy didnt come up with the idea he freely borrowed it from a contemporary, marinos of. Neugebauer preface a t the end of book vii of ptolemy s geography one finds the discussion it, of a representation of the terrestrial globe in the plane as seen by an observer who is placed in the plane of the parallel of latitude which passes through syene. Ptolemy s geography, book vii, chapters 6 and 7 by 0. Secondcentury classic of civilization listed over 8,000 places in europe, a. At the end of book vii of ptolemy s geography one finds the discussion of a representation of the terrestrial globe in the plane as seen by an observer who is placed in the plane of the parallel of. Geography of claudius ptolemy, originally titled geographia and written in the second century, is a depiction of the geography of the roman empire at the time. Geography, ancient publisher lipsiae, sumptibus et typis caroli tauchnitii collection. Ptolemy s geography by alexander jones princeton university press, 2000.
He wrote books on astrology, astronomy, and geography, and each of. This work was published before january 1, 1925, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. Based on an inscription in several of the earliest surviving manuscripts, it is traditionally credited to agathodaemon of alexandria. Ptolemys geography is the only book on cartography to have survived from the. The rediscovery of this great work came at a fortunate time because the recent development of a printing industry capable of handling map reproduction made possible its circulation far beyond the few scholars who otherwise would have enjoyed access to it. Neugebauer preface a t the end of book vii of ptolemys geography one finds the discussion it, of a representation of the terrestrial globe in the plane as seen by an observer who is placed in the plane of the parallel of latitude which passes through syene. He used a system of grid lines to plot the latitude and longitude of some 8,000 places on a map that. It is based on the description contained in ptolemy s book geography, written c. This edition contains more than 40 maps and illustrations, reproduced based on ptolemy s original manuscript. At the end of book vii of ptolemys geography one finds the discussion of a representation of the terrestrial globe in the plane as seen by an observer who is placed in the plane of the parallel of latitude which passes through syene. Mar 01, 2011 though inaccurate due to ptolemy s varying methods of measurement and use of outdated data, geography of claudius ptolemy is nonetheless an excellent example of ancient geographical study and scientific method.
Mar 24, 2019 geography gained rapid popularity, and there were more than forty editions printed from the fifteenth through sixteenth centuries. Ptolomy stands as one of the most important individuals in the history of natural science and philosophy. In addition to his well known works in astronomy, ptolemy was very important in the history of geography and cartography. Ptolemy s guide to geography, written in the 2nd century ce, mentions a people called serboi, but it is not certain that this is a reference to the ancestors of the modern serbs. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the greek anthology. Key to ptolemys earth map was the notion of latitude and longitude a handy coordinate system for locating points on a round surface. For hundreds of years, unscrupulous cartographers of the middle ages printed a variety of atlases with the name ptolemy on them, to provide credentials for their books. Ptolemys geography is the only book on cartography to have survived from the classical. Most of these methods can be effective only insofar as ptolemy s geography is regarded as an. Introduction ptolemys geography is a treatise on cartography, the only book on that subject to have survived from classical antiquity. He compiled a star catalog and the earliest surviving table of a trigonometric function and. Sep 06, 2016 this work was published before january 1, 1925, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
And in the fifteenth century, a latin translation of this text, with maps, proved a sensation in the world of the book. Ptolemy definition of ptolemy by the free dictionary. An annotated translation of the theoretical chapters. Darcy and william flynn department of political science, oklahoma state university, stillwater, usa claudius ptolemy roughly ad 90 168. Claudius ptolemy was a geographer, astronomer and mathematician of the 2c ad, exact dates are not known, but he worked in alexandria between 127 and 148 ad. The last of the great astronomers of antiquity, claudius ptolemaeus ptolemy compiled works that remained the standard astronomical textbooks until the copernican revolution in astronomy in the sixteenth century. Key to ptolemy s earth map was the notion of latitude and longitude a handy coordinate system for locating points on a round surface. Lacuscurtius ptolemys geography book iii, chapter 7. The maps in surviving manuscripts of ptolemy s geography, however, only date from about 0, after the text was rediscovered by maximus planudes. Ptolemy s geography is the only book on cartography to have survived from the classical period and one of the most influential scientific works of all time. Full text of the geography of ptolemy elucidated see other formats.
The west coast of libya explored, the zero longitude determined and the east coast capes located. The following text of ptolemy is part of the internet medieval source book. Ptolemy also wrote works on optics and music, as well as a geography gr. Chapters xi to xv concerning eur ope and book v and. The concept of identifying the phenomena characteristic of all lo calities having the same latitude, i. Sep 07, 2012 ptolemy explained that anyone could draw such a map by using a swinging ruler and referring to his tables of latitude and longitude in the later books of the geography. Neugebauer preface a t the end of book vii of ptolemy s geography one finds the discussion it, of a representation of the. Finally the book has a set of 26 beautiful regional maps as well as a world map in three projections, based on the newly constituted text, but drawn in the tradition of the medieval manuscript maps. The ptolemy world map is a map of the world known to hellenistic society in the 2nd century. Ptolemy s is the first known projection of the sphere onto a plane.
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