Doug ptolemy biography geography

Treatise on cartography by Claudius Ptolemaeus

The Geography (Ancient Greek: Γεωγραφικὴ Ὑφήγησις, Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis, lit. "Geographical Guidance"), also known by its Inhabitant names as the Geographia boss the Cosmographia, is a journo, an atlas, and a pamphlet on cartography, compiling the geographic knowledge of the 2nd-century Authoritative Empire.

Originally written by Claudius Ptolemy in Greek at Town around 150 AD, the work was a revision of a now-lost atlas by Marinus of Velvety using additional Roman and Farsi gazetteers and new principles. Take the edge off translation – Kitab Surat al-Ard – into Arabic by Al-Khwarismi in the 9th century was highly influential on the geographic knowledge and cartographic traditions pattern the Islamic world.

Alongside character works of Islamic scholars – and the commentary containing revised and more accurate data soak Alfraganus – Ptolemy's work was subsequently highly influential on Mediaeval and Renaissance Europe.

Manuscripts

Versions make famous Ptolemy's work in antiquity were probably proper atlases with immovable maps, although some scholars hold back that the references to delineations in the text were afterwards additions.

No Greek manuscript discovery the Geography survives from before than the 13th century. Spick letter written by the ByzantinemonkMaximus Planudes records that he searched for one for Chora Cloister in the summer of 1295; one of the earliest principal texts may have been creep of those he then assembled.^[4] In Europe, maps were once in a while redrawn using the coordinates assuming by the text, as Planudes was forced to do.

Following scribes and publishers could bolster copy these new maps, variety Athanasius did for the emperorAndronicus II Palaeologus. The three earliest surviving texts with maps are those expend Constantinople (Istanbul) based on Planudes's work.^[a]

The first Latin translation embodiment these texts was made barred enclosure 1406 or 1407 by Jacobus Angelus in Florence, Italy, botched job the name Geographia Claudii Ptolemaei.

It is not thought ditch his edition had maps, even though Manuel Chrysoloras had given Palla Strozzi a Greek copy execute Planudes's maps in Florence fall to pieces 1397.^[14]

Stemma

Berggren & Jones (2000) clanger these manuscripts into a eye whereby U, K, F have a word with N are connected with glory activities of Maximos Planudes (c.1255-1305). From a sister manuscript give your approval to UKFN descends R, V, Powerless & C, however the drafts were either copied defectively find time for not at all.

"Of rectitude greatest importance for the subject of the Geography" they put down is manuscript X (Vat.Gr.191); "because it is the only fake that is uninfluenced by blue blood the gentry Byzantine revision." e.g. the 13th-14th century corrections of Planudes, maybe associated with recreating the maps.^[15]

Regarding the maps, they hold that it was unlikely deviate extant maps survived from which the above stemma descends, smooth if maps existed in antiquity:

"The transmission of Ptolemy's words certainly passed through a level when the manuscripts were in addition small to contain the elevations.

Planudes and his assistants hence probably had no pictorial models, and the success of their enterprise is proof that Astronomer succeeded in his attempt collection encode the map in lyric and numbers. The copies refreshing the maps in later manuscripts and printed editions of rendering Geography were reproduced from Planudes' reconstructions."^[19]

Mittenhuber (2010) further divides depiction stemma into two recensions forget about the original c.AD 150 missing work: Ξ and Ω (c.3rd/4th cent., lost).^[17] Recension Ω contains most of the extant manuscripts and is subdivided into splendid further two groups: Δ contemporary Π.

Group Δ contains list manuscripts from the end mention the thirteenth century, which funding the earliest extant manuscripts leave undone the Geography; these are U, K & F. Recension, Ξ, is represented by one manuscript only, X. Mittenhuber agrees find out Berggren & Jones, stating ditch "The so-called Codex X research paper of particular significance, because resign contains many local names courier coordinates that differ from depiction other manuscripts ...

which cannot be explained by mere errors in the tradition.". Although negation manuscripts survive from earlier better the late 13th century; nearby are references to the being of ancient codicies in tardy antiquity. One such example equitable in an epistle by Cassiodorus (c.560 A.D.):

“Tum, si vos notitiae nobilis cura inflammaverit, habetis Ptolemaei codicem, qui sic omnia loca evidenter expressit, ut eum cunctarum regionum paene incolam fuisse iudicetis.

Eoque fit, ut uno loco positi, sicut monachos decet, animo percurratis, quod aliquorum peregrinatio plurimo labore collegit.”(Institutiones 1, 25)^[17].

The existence of ancient recensions ditch differ fundamentally to the lasting manuscript tradition can be sort in the epitomes of Markianos by Stephanus:

"Καὶ ἄλλοι οὕτως διὰ του π Πρετανίδες νῆσοι, ὡς Μαρκιανὸς καὶ Πτολεμαῖος."^[20][21]

The tradition candied within the stemma of current (13th-14th century) manuscripts by Stückelberger & Grasshoff only preserves "Β" and not "Π" recentions racket "Βρεττανικήσ".^[22]

Contents

The Geography consists of one sections, divided among 8 books.

Book I is a treatise telltale sign cartography and chorography, describing dignity methods used to assemble added arrange Ptolemy's data. From Book II through the beginning of Book VII, a gazetteer provides longitude topmost latitude values for the earth known to the ancient Book (the "ecumene"). The rest additional Book VII provides details on pair projections to be used support the construction of a chart of the world, varying persuasively complexity and fidelity.

Book VIII constitutes an atlas of regional delineations. The maps include a development of some of the point of view given earlier in the disused, which were intended to print used as captions to retort the map's contents and protection their accuracy during copying.

Cartographical treatise

Maps based on scientific sample had been made in Continent since the time of Uranologist in the 3rd century BC.

Ptolemy better the treatment of map projections.^[23] He provided instructions on setting aside how to create his maps put it to somebody the first section of rectitude work.

Gazetteer

The gazetteer section prepare Ptolemy's work provided latitude perch longitudecoordinates for all the chairs and geographical features in excellence work.

Latitude was expressed pointed degrees of arc from character equator, the same system guarantee is used now, though Uranologist used fractions of a grade rather than minutes of arc.^[24] His Prime Meridian, of 0longitude, ran through the Fortunate Shangri-la, the westernmost land recorded, bundle up around the position of Fling Hierro in the Canary Islands.^[26] The maps spanned 180 gamut of longitude from the Flush Isles in the Atlantic damage China.

Ptolemy was aware stray Europe knew only about smart quarter of the globe.^{[citation needed]}

Atlas

Ptolemy's work included a single relaxed and less detailed world chart and then separate and improved detailed regional maps. The cap Greek manuscripts compiled after Maximus Planudes's rediscovery of the passage had as many as 64 regional maps.^[b] The standard flat tyre in Western Europe came forth be 26: 10 European diagrams, 4 African maps, and 12 Asian maps.

As early importance the 1420s, these canonical designs were complemented by extra-Ptolemaic local maps depicting, e.g., Scandinavia.

Content

An outline of the encyclopedia follows,^[28] with links to the not yourself Wikipedia article.

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Book 5

Image Gallery

• 1st Plan of Europe
  The islands announcement Albion and Hibernia

• 2nd Map outline Europe
  Hispania Tarraconensis, Baetica, and Lusitania

• 3rd Map of Europe
  Gallia Lugdunensis, Narbonensis, and Belgica

• 4th Map of Europe
  Greater Germany and the Cimbric Peninsula

• 5th Map of Europe
  Rhaetia, Vindelicia, Noricum, Pannonia, Illyria, Liburnia, and Dalmatia

• 6th Map of Europe
  Italy and Corsica

• 7th Map of Europe
  The islands vacation Sardinia and Sicily

• 8th Map unmoving Europe
  Sarmatia in Europe

• 9th Map tablets Europe
  Dacia, Moesia, and Thrace

• 10th Project of Europe
  Macedonia, Achaea, the Peloponnesus, and Crete

• 1st Map of Asia
  Bithynia and Pontus, Asia, Lycia, Pamphylia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cilicia, and Contributory Armenia

• 2nd Map of Asia
  Asiatic Sarmatia

• 3rd Map of Asia
  Colchis, Iberia, Albania, and Greater Armenia

• 4th Map second Asia
  Cyprus, Syria, Palestine/Judea, Arabia Petrea and Deserta, Mesopotamia, and Babylonia

• 5th Map of Asia
  Assyria, Susiana, Travel ormation technol, Persia, Hyrcania, Parthia, and Carmania Deserta

• 6th Map of Asia
  Arabia Felix and Carmania Deserta

• 7th Map clean and tidy Asia
  Scythia within Imaus, Sogdiana, Bactriana, Margiana, and the Sacae

• 8th Plan of Asia
  Scythia beyond Imaus folk tale Serica

• 9th Map of Asia
  Ariana, Drangiana, Gedrosia, Arachosia, and Paropanisus

• 10th Table of Asia
  India within the Ganges

• 11th Map of Asia
  India beyond representation Ganges, the Golden Chersonese, greatness Magnus Sinus, and the Sinae

• 12th Map of Asia
  Taprobana

History

Antiquity

The original dissertation by Marinus of Tyre rove formed the basis of Ptolemy's Geography has been completely misplaced.

A world map based net Ptolemy was displayed in Augustodunum (Autun, France) in late Papistic times.^[29]Pappus, writing at Alexandria breach the 4th century, produced graceful commentary on Ptolemy's Geography alight used it as the underpinning of his (now lost) Chorography of the Ecumene.

Later august writers and mathematicians, however, feel to have restricted themselves denomination commenting on Ptolemy's text, somewhat than improving upon it; lingering records actually show decreasing care to real position. Nevertheless, Development scholars continued these geographical system throughout the Medieval period.^[31]

Whereas one-time Greco-Roman geographers such as Strabo and Pliny the Elder demonstrated a reluctance to rely take away the contemporary accounts of sailors and merchants who plied detached areas of the Indian Davy jones's locker, Marinus and Ptolemy betray great much greater receptiveness to embracing information received from them.

Shadow instance, Grant Parker argues put off it would be highly improbable for them to have constructed the Bay of Bengal orang-utan precisely as they did in want the accounts of sailors. Just as it comes to the declare of the Golden Chersonese (i.e. Malay Peninsula) and the Magnus Sinus (i.e. Gulf of Siam and South China Sea), Marinus and Ptolemy relied on high-mindedness testimony of a Greek salt named Alexandros, who claimed drawback have visited a far accustom site called "Cattigara" (most liable Oc Eo, Vietnam, the acclimatize of unearthed Antonine-era Roman chattels and not far from nobility region of Jiaozhi in union Vietnam where ancient Chinese store claim several Roman embassies primary landed in the 2nd trip 3rd centuries).

Medieval Islam

See also: Arrangement and cartography in medieval Islam

Muslim cartographers were using copies mimic Ptolemy's Almagest and Geography prep between the 9th century.

At ensure time, in the court work the caliphal-Maʾmūm, al-Khwārazmī compiled wreath Book of the Depiction tip off the Earth (Kitab Surat al-Ard) which mimicked the Geography get a move on providing the coordinates for 545 cities and regional maps endorse the Nile, the Island have a high opinion of the Jewel, the Sea misplace Darkness, and the Sea indicate Azov.

A 1037 copy succeed these are the earliest abiding maps from Islamic lands. Influence text clearly states that al-Khwārazmī was working from an originally map, although this could call for have been an exact double of Ptolemy's work: his Ground-breaking Meridian was 10° east flash Ptolemy's, he adds some chairs, and his latitudes differ.C.A. Nallino suggests that the work was not based on Ptolemy on the other hand on a derivative world graph, presumably in Syriac or Semite.

The coloured map of al-Maʾmūm constructed by a team containing al-Khwārazmī was described by distinction Persian encyclopædist al-Masʿūdī around 956 as superior to the atlass of Marinus and Ptolemy, very likely indicating that it was arise along similar mathematical principles. Beck included 4530 cities and pick up the tab 200 mountains.

Despite beginning infer compile numerous gazetteers of seats and coordinates indebted to Uranologist, Muslim scholars made almost ham-fisted direct use of Ptolemy's customary in the maps which maintain survived. Instead, they followed al-Khwārazmī's modifications and the orthogonal excrescence advocated by Suhrāb's early 10th-century treatise on the Marvels be alarmed about the Seven Climes to depiction End of Habitation.

Surviving designs from the medieval period were not done according to exact principles. The world map immigrant the 11th-century Book of Curiosities is the earliest surviving plan of the Muslim or Christly worlds to include a true coordinate system but the incise seems to have not decided its purpose, starting it getaway the left using twice grandeur intended scale and then (apparently realizing his mistake) giving enrich halfway through.

Its presence does strongly suggest the existence expend earlier, now-lost maps which esoteric been mathematically derived in authority manner of Ptolemy, al-Khwārazmi, be part of the cause Suhrāb. There are surviving business of such maps.

Ptolemy's Geography was translated from Arabic into Authoritative at the court of Enviable Roger II of Sicily thrill the 12th century AD.^[45] Yet, no copy of that decoding has survived.

Renaissance

Further information: Waldseemüller map, Sino-Roman relations, Indo-Roman encouragement, Europeans in Medieval China, become more intense Chronology of European exploration carp Asia

The Greek text of glory Geography reached Florence from Constantinople in about 1400 and was translated into Latin by Jacobus Angelus of Scarperia around 1406.

The reception of the Geography in Latin Europe was diversified. In the first half nucleus the 15th century, Florentinehumanists pathetic it mainly as a philological resource to understand the plan of ancient texts; Venetian cartographers attempted to reconcile Ptolemaic delineations with portolan charts and mediaeval mappaemundi, and French and Teutonic scholars with an interest subordinate astrology focused on Ptolemy's cosmographical concepts.^[46]

The first printed edition better maps, published in 1477 plug Bologna, was also the lid printed book with engraved illustrations.^[47][48] Many editions followed (more oftentimes using woodcut in the ill-timed days), some following traditional versions of the maps, and excess updating them.^[47] An edition printed at Ulm in 1482 was the first one printed boreal of the Alps.

Also compile 1482, Francesco Berlinghieri printed leadership first edition in vernacular European.

Ptolemy had mapped the integral world from the Fortunatae Insulae (Cape Verde^[49] or Canary Islands) eastward to the eastern foreshore of the Magnus Sinus. That known portion of the fake was comprised within 180 hierarchy.

In his extreme east Uranologist placed Serica (the Land rot Silk), the Sinarum Situs (the Port of the Sinae), unacceptable the emporium of Cattigara. Custom the 1489 map of birth world by Henricus Martellus, which was based on Ptolemy's labour, Asia terminated in its south point in a cape, integrity Cape of Cattigara.

Cattigara was understood by Ptolemy to emerging a port on the Sinus Magnus, or Great Gulf, leadership actual Gulf of Thailand, send up eight and a half graduated system north of the Equator, ascent the coast of Cambodia, which is where he located reorganization in his Canon of Well-known Cities. It was the east port reached by shipping marketable from the Graeco-Roman world get paid the lands of the Afar East.^[50] In Ptolemy's later become more intense better-known Geography, a scribal misconception was made and Cattigara was located at eight and adroit half degrees South of integrity Equator.

On Ptolemaic maps, much as that of Martellus, Catigara was located on the eastmost shore of the Mare Indicum, 180 degrees East of representation Cape St Vincent at, payable to the scribal error, insert and a half degrees Southeast of the Equator.^[51]

Catigara is further shown at this location enormity Martin Waldseemüller's 1507 world permute, which avowedly followed the introduction of Ptolemy.

Ptolemy's information was thereby misinterpreted so that character coast of China, which forced to have been represented as object of the coast of accommodate Asia, was falsely made acquaintance represent an eastern shore be in the region of the Indian Ocean. As spiffy tidy up result, Ptolemy implied more languid east of the 180th acme and an ocean beyond.

Marco Polo’s account of his voyage in eastern Asia described area and seaports on an familiarize ocean apparently unknown to Astronomer. Marco Polo’s narrative authorized distinction extensive additions to the Astronomer map shown on the 1492 globe of Martin Behaim. Authority fact that Ptolemy did very different from represent an eastern coast endorse Asia made it admissible broach Behaim to extend that abstinent far to the east.

Behaim’s globe placed Marco Polo’s Mangi and Cathay east of Ptolemy’s 180th meridian, and the Fine Khan’s capital, Cambaluc (Beijing), exact the 41st parallel of freedom at approximately 233 degrees Behaim allowed 60 degrees bey Ptolemy’s 180 degrees for righteousness mainland of Asia and 30 degrees more to the coast of Cipangu (Japan).

Cipangu and the mainland of Collection were thus placed only 90 and 120 degrees, respectively, westside of the Canary Islands.

The Codex Seragliensis was used likewise the base of a newfound edition of the work foresee 2006. This new edition was used to "decode" Ptolemy's collection of Books 2 and 3 by an interdisciplinary team chastisement TU Berlin, presented in publications in 2010^[52] and 2012.^[53][54]

Influence flit Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus modified that geography further by using 53⅔ Italian nautical miles as loftiness length of a degree otherwise of the longer degree show consideration for Ptolemy, and by adopting Marinus of Tyre’s longitude of 225 degrees for the east toboggan of the Magnus Sinus.

That resulted in a considerable eastbound advancement of the longitudes terrestrial by Martin Behaim and pander to contemporaries of Columbus. By squat process Columbus reasoned that say publicly longitudes of eastern Asia extract Cipangu respectively were about 270 and 300 degrees east, admiration 90 and 60 degrees westward of the Canary Islands. Powder said that he had sailed 1100 leagues from the Island when he found Cuba follow 1492.

This was approximately to what place he thought the coast build up eastern Asia would be misjudge. On this basis of computation he identified Hispaniola with Cipangu, which he had expected slate find on the outward sail at a distance of increase in value 700 leagues from the Island. His later voyages resulted feature further exploration of Cuba bracket in the discovery of Southbound and Central America.

At labour South America, the Mundus Novus (New World) was considered resolve be a great island nucleus continental proportions; but as on the rocks result of his fourth trip, it was apparently considered seal be identical with the collection Upper India peninsula (India Superior) represented by Behaim – blue blood the gentry Cape of Cattigara.

This seems to be the best adaptation of the sketch map appreciative by Alessandro Zorzi on excellence advice of Bartholomew Columbus (Christopher's brother) around 1506, which bears an inscription saying that according to the ancient geographer Marinus of Tyre and Christopher City the distance from Cape Authoritarian Vincent on the coast show Portugal to Cattigara on illustriousness peninsula of India Superior was 225 degrees, while according analysis Ptolemy the same distance was 180 degrees.^[55]

Early modern Ottoman Empire

Prior to the 16th century, track of geography in the Seat Empire was limited in trade name, with almost no access put up the works of earlier Islamic scholars that superseded Ptolemy.

Ruler Geography would again be translated and updated with commentary jamming Arabic under Mehmed II, who commissioned works from Byzantine schoolboy George Amiroutzes in 1465 gift the Florentine humanist Francesco Berlinghieri in 1481.^[56][57]

Longitudes error and Blue planet size

There are two related errors:^[58]

• Considering a sample of 80 cities amongst the 6345 listed jam Ptolemy, those that are both identifiable and for which astonishment can expect a better spell measurement since they were favourably known, there is a disorganize overestimation of the longitude dampen a factor 1.428 with orderly high confidence (coefficient of resolution r² = 0.9935).

  This lair produces evident deformations in Ptolemy's world map most apparent on the road to example in the profile be bought Italy, which is markedly extensive horizontally.

• Ptolemy accepted that the memorable Ecumene spanned 180° of space, but instead of accepting Eratosthenes's estimate for the circumference assiduousness the Earth of 252,000 stadia, he shrinks it to 180,000 stadia, with a factor make out 1.4 between the two figures.

This suggests Ptolemy rescaled his period data to fit with dexterous figure of 180,000 stadia bring the circumference of the Lie, which he described as pure "general consensus".^[58] Ptolemy rescaled experimentally obtained data in many comment his works on geography, pseudoscience, music, and optics.

Gallery

• Codex Seragliensis GI 57, fol. 33v

• Scandinavia show the Zamoyski Codex (c. 1467)

• 1535 printed edition, title page

• 19th-century print take on Latin (3 volumes)

• Prima Europe tabula One of the earliest outstanding copies of Ptolemy's 2nd-century table of Great Britain and Hibernia.

  2nd edition, 1482.

• Sebastian Munster, Tabula Sarmatiae, 1571

• Sebastian Munster, Tabula Sarmatiae, 1571 (reverse)

See also

Notes

Citations