Ptolemy's Geography [Hardcover]

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

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2000

Ptolemy's Geography, the only book on cartography to have survived from the classical period, is 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. 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. Also included here are unique color reproductions of maps from manuscripts and early printed editions of the text, representative of the beautiful and practical cartographic artistry that flowed from Ptolemy's work. Historians of science, classicists, and anyone who enjoys beautiful maps or mapmaking will find this work an indispensable addition to their library.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Berggren and Jones have masterfully met a long-felt need. -- Robert W. Karrow, Jr., Technology and Culture

Has been the most lastingly influential of all works in the earth sciences.... This is a most useful volume. -- William A.S. Sarjeant, Earth Sciences History

This is a most useful volume, destined to be a primary source. -- William A.S. Sarjeant, Earth Sciences History

Until now there has been no reliable translation of the Geography in English. -- Lionel Casson, Classical Bulletin

Until now there has been no reliable translation of the Geography in English. Berggren and Jones have triumphantly filled that lack for the crucial portion of the work, the portion in which Ptolemy speaks as scientific geographer. -- Review

From the Inside Flap

"The translation is exemplary, surely the best in any language. It supersedes all previous translations and corrects all editions. The authors have done a splendid job in every way and have produced a work that will be useful for the duration of our lives and probably much longer."--Noel Swerdlow, University of Chicago and author of The Babylonian Theory of the Planets

"Berggren and Jones have made a difficult, detailed and challenging text far more accessible and have produced a work that will be the standard for many years to come. They have done a wonderful service to the study of a crucial text by one of the most important figures in the history of science. A pleasure to read."--Liba Taub, Cambridge University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (November 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691010420
• ISBN-13: 978-0691010427
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,955,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well done, but incomplete, December 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ptolemy's Geography (Hardcover)

The introduction is excellent and translation is well done, however the book is incomplete - it offers only a tiny sampling of Ptolemy's geography (only the book concerning Gaul), which may disappoint some (I was certainly surprised, expecting to see a full translation).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse into the past, March 6, 2003

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ptolemy's Geography (Hardcover)

Reading the translated text of Ptolemy's Geography gives you a glimpse into the scientific, technical, social and political minds of those times. From a technical aspect, the maps are really quite good, considering the limited tools and data that Ptolemy had at his disposal. There are many mistakes, those about Africa and Asia are extreme, but it is possible to recognize the general shapes of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The descriptions of how to determine locations from astronomical observations and the manner whereby it is interpreted is a classic example of stretching a technology to its' limits. For somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen centuries, his maps were not significantly improved, which is a technical achievement that may be unequaled in any other field.
From the political and social realm we see that the Mediterranean is the hub of the world, with China and India a significant, albeit peripheral part. Africa below the Sahara desert is a great unknown, as there is little more than an empty spot on the map. North Africa is simply Libia and southern Africa is Ethiopia.
The translators have done a very good job with what was a very difficult subject. They begin with a great deal of explanation and close with a series of appendices that clarify many of the intermediate points. There is also a section of maps, where Ptolemy's are compared with modern ones. However, this is a translation of the theoretical chapters only, so if you are looking for the complete text, you will have to look elsewhere.
One of the greatest technical triumphs of the ancient world, Ptolemy's Geography can teach us much about the world in which he lived and worked. I found this translation of his great work to be well worth reading.