Claudius Ptolemy was an astrologer, mathematician,astronomer and geographer. He is known for his immense contribution in the field of Geography, astronomy, Mathematics as well as astronomy.

1. CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY
BY-
SANJITA
BA.B.Ed

2. CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY

3. CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY
(90-168 AD)
 Claudius Ptolemy popularly known as Ptolemy was a
native of Egypt.
 He was a Greco-Roman writer of Alexandria, as well
as a poet, mathematician, geographer and
astrologer.
 His writings inspired geographers and
explorers to explore the
Terra Incognita- unknown land.

4. CONTRIBUTIONS
Ptolemy wrote several scientific treatises
which are of great importance. These treatises
include:
a. Almagest
b. The Geography
c. Astrology

5. ALMAGEST
 It is a great contribution to classical astronomy
containing reports of his astronomical observations.
 This is the mathematical treatise, popularly known as
The Syntaxis ,an Arabic name derived from the Greek
title E-Megiste Syntaxis meaning the great synthesis.
 It presents in detail the mathematical theory of the
motion of the sun, the moon and planets.
 Ptolemy believed that the stars were fixed points in a
rotating sphere.
 The planets are much closer to the earth than the
stars but are farther away from the moon.

6.  Two parts of the Almagest are devoted to a
catalogue of stars which includes 10,22 stars
grouped into 48 constellations.
 Described a mathematical arrangement of
stars and gave their ecliptic
coordinates (celestial latitudes, longitudes)
as well as magnitude(brightness).
 He also discovered the irregularity of moon
in its orbit.
 Ptolemaic System: a unified system in which
each heavenly body is attached to its own
sphere called epicycles.

7.  Geocentric (Earth centered) model of
the universe – the earth is the centre of the
universe and all the planets revolve around
it.

8. THE GEOGRAPHY
• Also known as The Guide to Geography.
• Consists of eight volumes.
• Contains theory of map projection-information
and techniques required to draw maps.
• Record /catalogue of places with their longitudes
and latitudes in degrees for roughly 8,000
locations.
• Briefly describes each continent, country and
tribe.
• Contains map of the world including Europe,
North Africa and most of Asia as well as well as 26
maps of specific areas.

9. WORLD AFTER PTOLEMY

11. His major contributions to the field of
mathematical geography include-
• Circumference of the Earth
• Dimensions of the habitable world
Prime meridian, graticule and design of
projection.
Salient features of his maps
Geographical account of major features of the
different parts of the world.

12. Presumed the Fortunate Islands(Canaries) as
the point through which the prime meridian
passes.
Sera and Sine were the easterly points in Asia
beyond which lies the Terra incognita.
Represented the equator and latitudes by
parallel curves and the meridians as straight
lines bisecting the equator at right angles.
Marked the climatic zones on world map
known as Climata.

13. EUROPE
• Described regions and nations of western Europe.
• Constructed the map of British Isles with the help
of latitudes and longitudes.
• Correctly plotted Cornwell, Pembroke-Wales,
Cardiganshire(Wales) & western shore of
Scotland.
• Gave precise information regarding the sources of
Weser, Elb and Vistula as the Sormation
(Carpathian) mountains. Also plotted river Volga
on his map.
• Accurate about the Caspian sea.

14. COASTS OF THE BRITISH
ISLANDS AFTER PTOLEMY

16. ASIA
• Described the geography of Central Asia on either
side of Imaus( Altai )mountains.
• Definite information regarding China- the land of
seres.
• Plotted the Gangetic Gulf (Bay of Bengal).
• Showed source of the Ganges and its tributaries
in the Himalayas.
• Correctly placed Taprobane (Ceylon) as opposite
to the western coast of India.
• Promulgated the concept of Terra-Australis-
Incognita declaring that the Indian Ocean is a
closed sea.
• Introduced Maganus- the Gulf of Siam(Thailand).

17. AFRICA
• Ptolemy’s account of Arabicus Sinus (Red Sea),
shores of Arabian Sea ad Persian Gulf is much
superior to his predecessors.
• Established the source of Nile in the Coloe lake
(lake Tanza) from which the White Nile derives its
waters.
• Gave the source of White Nile in the mountains
of Kilimanjaro & Kenya.
• Introduced the Gir and the Niger river.
• Described Daradus and Stachir rivers and the
peninsula of Hesperi.
• Described the land between Sudan and
equatorial Africa as Ethiopia.

18. NORTH-WESTERN AFRICA

19. ASTROLOGY
• Major works in this field include –
The Optics
The Tetrabiblos
• These works deals with reflection and
refraction.

20. THE OPTICS
• Contains properties of light, including
reflection, refraction, and color.
• contains the earliest surviving table of
refraction from air to water.
• Ptolemy offered explanations for many
phenomena concerning illumination and
colour, size, shape, movement and binocular
vision.

21. TETRABIBLOS
• Known as Quadrapartitium (Latin) meaning
'Four Books.
• The Tetrabiblos is an extensive and
continually reprinted treatise on the ancient
principles of horoscopic astrology.

22. THANK YOU