Ptolemy's Geography: An Annotated Translation of the Theoretical Chapters

by Ptolemy, J. Lennart Berggren (Translator), Alexander Jones (Translator)

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.

Genres: Science

216 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2000

About the author

Geocentric model of Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy, who flourished in 2nd century at Alexandria, for the universe dominated cosmological theory until the Renaissance.

Ptolemy compiled Almagest , a comprehensive treatise on astronomy, geography, and mathematics, about 150.

The Ptolemaic system dominated medieval cosmology until Nicolaus Copernicus contradicted it.

Claudius Ptolemy (circa 90 – circa 168), a Roman citizen of Egypt, wrote. As a poet, he composed a single epigram in the Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule. Theodore Meliteniotes proposed possibly correct but late and unsupported birthplace in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the Thebaid circa 1360. No reason exists to suppose that he ever lived anywhere else.

Ptolemy authored at least three works of continuing importance to later Islamic and European science. People first knew originally Μαθηματικὴ Σύνταξις, "Mathematical Treatise"). The second Geography thoroughly discusses the knowledge of the Roman world. In the third, known sometimes as the Apotelesmatika (Ἀποτελεσματικά), more commonly as the Tetrabiblos (Τετράβιβλος, and in Latin as the Quadripartitum or four books, he attempted to adapt horoscopes to the Aristotelian natural philosophy of his day.