Ptolemy's Geography : an annotated translation of the theoretical chapters / J. Lennart Berggren and Alexander Jones.

Author
Berggren, J. L. [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
  • English
  • Ancient Greek (to 1453)
Published/​Created
Princeton : Princeton University Press, ©2000.
Description
xii, 192 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Classics Collection GA881.1 .B47 2000 Browse related items Request
    ReCAP - Remote StorageGA881.1 .B47 2000 Browse related items Request

      Details

      Subject(s)
      Summary note
      "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 A.D., 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 important, 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." "Historians of science, classicists, and anyone who enjoys beautiful maps or map making will find this work an indispensable addition to their library."--Jacket.
      Bibliographic references
      Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-188) and indexes.
      Contents
      • Introduction. What Ptolemy expected his reader to know ; The place of the Geography in Ptolemy's work ; Ptolemy's evolving conception of the world ; Marinos and other sources ; Ptolemy's map projections and coordinate lists ; The manuscripts of the Geography ; The maps in the manuscripts ; Early readers and translators ; Modern editions and translations of the Geography ; Our translation
      • Ptolemy, Guide to drawing a map of the world. Book 1; Book 2 ; Book 7 ; Book 8
      • Plates and maps
      • Appendices. Appendix A : the journeys of Flaccus and Maternus to the Aithiopians ; Appendix B : Marinos' calculation of the latitude of Cape Prason ; Appendix C: the trade route across central Asia ; Appendix D : the breadth of the Mediterranean according to Marinos and Ptolemy ; Appendix E : the sail to Kattigara ; Appendix F : The miscellaneous criticisms of Marinos' data ; Appendix G : textual notes ; Appendix H : geographical index.
      ISBN
      • 0691010420 ((alk. paper))
      • 9780691010427 ((alk. paper))
      • 0691092591
      • 9780691092591
      LCCN
      00060625
      OCLC
      44914271
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