Ptolemy's Geography
Princeton University Press (Verlag)
978-0-691-09259-1 (ISBN)
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. 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 championed the use of astronomical observation and applied mathematics in determining geographical locations. But more importantly, he introduced the practice of writing down coordinates of latitude and longitude for every feature drawn on a world map, so that someone else possessing only the text of the Geography could reproduce Ptolemy's map at any time, in whole or in part, at any scale. Here Berggren and Jones render an exemplary translation of the Geography and provide a thorough introduction, which treats the historical and technical background of Ptolemy's work, the contents of the Geography, and the later history of the work.
J. Lennart Berggren is Professor of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University. His previous books include Episodes in the Mathematics of Medieval Islam and Pi:A Source Book Alexander Jones is Professor of Classics and of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Pappus of Alexandria: Book 7 of the Collection and Astronomical Papyri from Oxyrhynchus.
List of Illustrations ix Preface xi Note on Citations of Classical Authors xiii Introduction 3 What Ptolemy Expected His Reader to Know 5 The Place of the Geography in Ptolemy's Work 17 Ptolemy's Evolving Conception of the World 20 Marinos and Other Sources 23 Ptolemy's Map Projections and Coordinate Lists 31 The Manuscripts of the Geography 41 The Maps in the Manuscripts 45 Early Readers and Translators 50 Modern Editions and Translations of the Geography 52 Our Translation 53 Ptolemy, Guide to Drawing a Map of the World Book 1 57 Book 2 94 Book 7 108 Book 8 118 Plates and Maps Notes on the Plates and Maps 125 Plates 1-7 following p. 128 Maps 1-8 129 Appendices Appendix A: The Journeys of Flaccus and Maternus to the Aithiopians 145 Appendix B: Marinos' Calculation of the Latitude of Cape Prason 148 Appendix C: The Trade Route across Central Asia 150 Appendix D: The Breadth of the Mediterranean According to Marinos and Ptolemy 153 Appendix E: The Sail to Kattigara 155 Appendix F: The Miscellaneous Criticisms of Marinos' Data 157 Appendix G: Textual Notes 163 Appendix H: Geographical Index 168 Bibliography 183 Index 189
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 15.1.2002 |
|---|---|
| Übersetzer | J. Lennart Berggren, Alexander Jones |
| Zusatzinfo | 13 Maps |
| Verlagsort | New Jersey |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 178 x 254 mm |
| Gewicht | 369 g |
| Themenwelt | Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geografie / Kartografie |
| ISBN-10 | 0-691-09259-1 / 0691092591 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-691-09259-1 / 9780691092591 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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