12-22-2010, 02:48 AM
Mapping Ptolemy's maps to modern coordinates may be not that simple. See also the articles from e-Perimetron , for example, Angeliki Tsorlini's Spatial distribution of Ptolemy’s Geographia coordinate differences in North Mediterranean eliminating systematic effects
Even with archaeological studies, I don't think Ptolemy's maps for Germania can be entirely decoded.
I haven't read the book so I don't know how they map the ancient coordinates to modern ones. But there might also errors in coordinates and names, some which are impossible to recover. Such errors might have happened early in the manuscript tradition (and thus present in all extant copies) or even in Ptolemy's work (as he was copying from other sources).
Also, despite what some may think, some of the settlements are quite modest even though Ptolemy called them poleis. There are also known settlements and (administrative) regions which are not on his maps.
Even with archaeological studies, I don't think Ptolemy's maps for Germania can be entirely decoded.
I haven't read the book so I don't know how they map the ancient coordinates to modern ones. But there might also errors in coordinates and names, some which are impossible to recover. Such errors might have happened early in the manuscript tradition (and thus present in all extant copies) or even in Ptolemy's work (as he was copying from other sources).
Also, despite what some may think, some of the settlements are quite modest even though Ptolemy called them poleis. There are also known settlements and (administrative) regions which are not on his maps.
Drago?
