Ptolemy's world map

ThePtolemy world map is a map of theworld known to Greco-Roman societies in the 2nd century. It is based on the description contained inPtolemy's bookGeography, writtenc. 150. Based on an inscription in several of the earliest surviving manuscripts, it is traditionally credited toAgathodaemon of Alexandria.

Detail ofEast andSoutheast Asia inPtolemy's world map. Gulf of theGanges (Bay of Bengal) left, Southeast Asian peninsula in the center,South China Sea right, with "Sinae" (China).

Notable features of Ptolemy's map is the first use of longitudinal and latitudinal lines as well as specifying terrestrial locations by celestial observations. TheGeography was translated fromGreek intoArabic in the 9th century and played a role in the work ofal-Khwārizmī beforelapsing into obscurity. The idea of a global coordinate system revolutionized European geographical thought, however, and inspired more mathematical treatment of cartography.

Ptolemy's work probably originally came with maps, but none have been discovered. Instead, the present form of the map was reconstructed from Ptolemy's coordinates byByzantine monks under the direction ofMaximus Planudes shortly after 1295. It probably was not that of the original text, as it uses theless favored of the two alternate projections offered by Ptolemy.

Continents

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The continents are given asEurope,Asia, andLibya (Africa). TheWorld Ocean is only seen to the west. The map distinguishes two large enclosed seas: theMediterranean and theIndian (Indicum Pelagus). Due to Marinus and Ptolemy's mistaken measure of the circumference of the earth, the former is made to extend much too far in terms of degrees of arc; due to their reliance onHipparchus, they mistakenly enclose the latter with an eastern and southern shore ofunknown lands, which prevents the map from identifying the western coast of the World Ocean.^[1]

India is bound by theIndus andGanges rivers, but its peninsula is much shortened. Instead,Sri Lanka (Taprobane) is greatly enlarged. TheMalay Peninsula is given as theGolden Chersonese instead of the earlier "Golden Island", which derived from Indian accounts of the mines onSumatra. Beyond the Golden Chersonese, theGreat Gulf (Magnus Sinus) forms a combination of theGulf of Thailand andSouth China Sea which is bound by the unknown lands thought to enclose the Indian Sea.China is divided into two realms—theQin (Sinae) and the Land of Silk (Serica)—owing to the different accounts received from the overland and maritimeSilk Roads.^[1]

TheGeography and the map derived from it probably played an important role in the expansion of theRoman Empire to the East. Trade throughout theIndian Ocean was extensive from the 2nd century, and many Roman trading ports have been identified inIndia. From these ports,Roman embassies to China are recorded in Chinese historical sources from around 166.

The Danish historianGudmund Schütte attempted to reconstruct the Danish part of Ptolemy's world map. It includes several place- andtribe-names, some of which Schütte assigned a contemporary equivalent. The most prominent feature of the map is thepeninsula Jutland placed north of the riverAlbis Trêva, west of theSaxonônNesôi (archipelago), east of theSkandiai Nêsoi, which itself lies west of a larger islandSkandia.Skandia is home to theGoutai in the center, and thePhiraisoi in the east.

North of Jutland lies a third archipelagoAlokiai Nêsoi. South of theAlbis live theLakkobardoi and to its north theSaxones. The west coast of Jutland is home to theSigulônes, theSabaliggio, theKobandoi, theEundusioi and the northernmostKimbroi (possiblyCimbri). North and east is home to theKimbrikê (possiblyCimbri), theChersonêsos and theCharudes.^[2]

References

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^^a ^bThrower, Norman Joseph William (1999).Maps & Civilization: Cartography in Culture and Society.University of Chicago Press.ISBN 0-226-79973-5.
^Bure, Kristjan, ed. (1961).Jernalderen, Turistforeningen for Danmark, Årbog 1961 [The Iron Age, The Tourist Association of Denmark, Yearbook 1961] (in Danish).