2nd-century Roman mathematician, astronomer, geographer
For other uses, see Ptolemy (disambiguation).
Ptolemy
Κλαύδιος Πτολεμαῖος
Portrait of Ptolemy by Justus van Gent and Pedro Berruguete (1476)[a]
Born
c. 100 AD[1]
Unknown
Died
c. 170 (aged 69–70) AD[1]
Alexandria, Egypt, Roman Empire
Citizenship
possibly Roman; ethnicity:Greco-Egyptian or Hellenized Egyptian
Known for
Ptolemaic universe Ptolemy's world map Ptolemy's intense diatonic scale Ptolemy's table of chords Ptolemy's inequality Ptolemy's theorem Equant Evection Quadrant
Scientific career
Fields
Astronomy, Geography, Astrology, Optics
Claudius Ptolemy (/ˈtɒləmi/; Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, Ptolemaios; Latin: Claudius Ptolemaeus; c. 100 – c. 170 AD)[1] was an Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist[2] who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine, Islamic, and Western European science. The first was his astronomical treatise now known as the Almagest, originally entitled Mathematical Treatise (Greek: Μαθηματικὴ Σύνταξις, Mathēmatikḗ Syntaxis). The second is the Geography, which is a thorough discussion on maps and the geographic knowledge of the Greco-Roman world. The third is the astrological treatise in which he attempted to adapt horoscopic astrology to the Aristotelian natural philosophy of his day. This is sometimes known as the Apotelesmatika (Greek: Αποτελεσματικά, lit.'On the Effects') but more commonly known as the Tetrábiblos, from the Koine Greek meaning "Four Books", or by its Latin equivalent Quadripartite.
Because the Catholic Church promoted his work, which included the only mathematically sound geocentric model of the Solar System, and unlike most Greek mathematicians, Ptolemy's writings (foremost the Almagest) never ceased to be copied or commented upon, both in late antiquity and in the Middle Ages.[3]
However, it is likely that only a few truly mastered the mathematics necessary to understand his works, as evidenced particularly by the many abridged and watered-down introductions to Ptolemy's astronomy that were popular among the Arabs and Byzantines.[4][5]
His work on epicycles has come to symbolize a very complex theoretical model built in order to explain a false assumption.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^ abcPtolemy at the Encyclopædia Britannica
^Richter, Lukas (2001). "Ptolemy". Grove Music Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.22510. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. Retrieved 25 September 2021. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
^
Pingree, D. (1994). "The teaching of the Almagest in late antiquity". Apeiron. 27 (4): 75–98. doi:10.1515/APEIRON.1994.27.4.75. S2CID 68478868.
^
Jones, A., ed. (2010). Ptolemy in Perspective: Use and criticism of his work from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Archimedes. Springer Netherlands. ISBN 978-90-481-2787-0.
^Cite error: The named reference Jones-2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Claudius Ptolemy (/ˈtɒləmi/; Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, Ptolemaios; Latin: Claudius Ptolemaeus; c. 100 – c. 170 AD) was an Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer...
Ptolemy I Soter (/ˈtɒləmi/; Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr "Ptolemy the Savior"; c. 367 BC – January 282 BC) was a Macedonian Greek general...
Hellenistic period. It was founded in 305 BC by the Macedonian general Ptolemy I Soter, a companion of Alexander the Great, and ruled by the Ptolemaic...
concurrently. Ptolemy I, founder of the dynasty. Ptolemy II Ptolemy III Ptolemy IV Ptolemy V Ptolemy VI Cleopatra II (right) Ptolemy VIII Ptolemy IX Ptolemy X Ptolemy...
BC when Ptolemy returned to Egypt with Roman military assistance. When he died in 51 BC, the joint reign of Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII began...
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysus (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Νέος Διόνυσος, romanized: Ptolemaios Neos Dionysos, lit. 'Ptolemy the new Dionysus' c. 117 – 51 BC)...
Ptolemy XV Caesar (/ˈtɒləmi/; Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Καῖσαρ, Ptolemaios Kaisar; 23 June 47 BC – 29 August 30 BC), nicknamed Caesarion (Greek: Καισαρίων, Kaisaríōn...
Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Φιλάδελφος Ptolemaios Philadelphos, "Ptolemy, sibling-lover"; 309 – 28 January 246 BC) was the pharaoh of Ptolemaic...
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Tryphon (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης Τρύφων, Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs Tryphōn, "Ptolemy the Benefactor, the Opulent"; c. 184 BC...
Ptolemy III Euergetes (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης, romanized: Ptolemaios Euergetes, "Ptolemy the Benefactor"; c. 280 – November/December 222 BC) was...
Ptolemy XIV Philopator (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Φιλοπάτωρ, Ptolemaios; c. 59 – 44 BC) was a Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, who reigned from 47 until...
Ptolemy Ceraunus (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Κεραυνός Ptolemaios Keraunos; c. 319 BC – January/February 279 BC) was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty and briefly...
Ptolemy of Aloros (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος), was sent by King Amyntas III of Macedon as an envoy to Athens c. 375–373 BC. After Amyntas' death, he began a liaison...
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Θεός Φιλοπάτωρ, Ptolemaĩos; c. 62 BC – 13 January 47 BC) was Pharaoh of Egypt from 51 to 47 BC, and one...
Ptolemy Eupator (Greek: Πτολεμαίος Ευπάτωρ, Ptolemaios Eupatōr, "Ptolemy the Well-fathered [God]") was the son of Ptolemy VI Philometor and Cleopatra...
Ptolemy X Alexander I (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Ἀλέξανδρος, Ptolemaĩos Aléxandros) was the Ptolemaic king of Cyprus from 114 BC until 107 BC and of Egypt from...
Ptolemy of Mauretania (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, Ptolemaîos; Latin: Gaius Iulius Ptolemaeus; 13 x 9 BC–AD 40) was the last Roman client king and ruler of Mauretania...
issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic...
Ptolemy VI Philometor (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Φιλομήτωρ, Ptolemaĩos Philomḗtōr; 186–145 BC) was a Greek king of Ptolemaic Egypt who reigned from 180 to 164 BC...
to Ptolemy I Soter, who may have established plans for the Library, but the Library itself was probably not built until the reign of his son Ptolemy II...
Romans annexed Cyprus and Ptolemy XII's brother Ptolemy of Cyprus chose to commit suicide rather than go into exile, Ptolemy XII became unpopular with...
Ptolemy of Cyprus was the king of Cyprus c. 80-58 BC. He was the younger brother of Ptolemy XII Auletes, king of Egypt, and, like him, a son of Ptolemy...
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