Bibliography
Alastair
Strang s. xx–xxi
Theses
Contributions to journals
Strang, Alastair, “The analysis of Ptolemy’s Geography”, The Cartographic Journal 35 (1998): 27–47.
abstract:
The geography of Claudius Ptolemaeus has existed for some eighteen hundred and fifty years, but, because it has been passed down to us through the centuries in various forms, we are rather unsure of its original composition. There is little doubt of Ptolemy’s contribution to early geographic/cartographic practice or that his Geographia was remarkably reliable in recording most of the first century AD Roman world. However, our confidence in its interpretation to date could be greatly improved. So far, there has been no satisfactory explanation of the ‘turning’ of Scotland and the majority of Ptolemy’s poleis (named places) in Scotland have remained unidentified. In arriving with some confidence at what I regard as an acceptable technical resolution of this problem (Strang, 1994), other conclusions followed. The empirical approach adopted appears to be a satisfactory method for interpreting Ptolemy’s early cartographic practices despite later corruption of some data.
abstract:
The geography of Claudius Ptolemaeus has existed for some eighteen hundred and fifty years, but, because it has been passed down to us through the centuries in various forms, we are rather unsure of its original composition. There is little doubt of Ptolemy’s contribution to early geographic/cartographic practice or that his Geographia was remarkably reliable in recording most of the first century AD Roman world. However, our confidence in its interpretation to date could be greatly improved. So far, there has been no satisfactory explanation of the ‘turning’ of Scotland and the majority of Ptolemy’s poleis (named places) in Scotland have remained unidentified. In arriving with some confidence at what I regard as an acceptable technical resolution of this problem (Strang, 1994), other conclusions followed. The empirical approach adopted appears to be a satisfactory method for interpreting Ptolemy’s early cartographic practices despite later corruption of some data.
