1430 SAQ Ptolemy’s Map
Below are two important pre-Columbian maps. The first one, Ptolemy's World Map, was based upon descriptions in an ancient work called Geographia. This had been written Greek Alexandrian geographer Claudius Ptolemy in about 150 A.D. The map was produced shortly after the year 1295.
The second map is called the Ulm Ptolemy and was updated in the year 1486.
Answer the questions based on the images below. No pasting of any kind is allowed. Any pasting will result in an automatic 20-point reduction in the grade.
The Ptolemy world map is a map of the world known to the Roman Empire in the 2nd c. AD. It is based on the description contained in Ptolemy’s book Geography, written c. 150. 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 by Byzantine monks under the direction of Maximus Planudes shortly after 1295. It probably was not that of the original text, as it uses the less favored of the two alternate projections offered by Ptolemy.
The Ulm Ptolemy map of the World is one of the most sought after and recognized of all world maps. The map is the first map of the World printed North of the Alps and the first to appear in color which was applied by the publisher. It is also the earliest world map signed by its engraver, Johanne Schnitzer. While Ptolemaic in construction, the map includes information in Scandinavia, based upon Caudius Clavius's map of 1427. The map follows the manuscript map of Donnus Nicolaus Germanus, issued in the prior decades. The Ulm Ptolemy was originally published in 1482 by Leinhart Holle. However, Holle went Bankrupt shortly after the original publication and the work was taken over by Johann Reger, who issued an addition in 1486. The two editions can generally be distinguished by the coloring used for the seas--the 1482 employing a blue, while the 1486 uses a golden brown. While the map does reflect some modern updates, the Portugese discoveries in Africa are omittedand the map retains a closed Indian Ocean, with a land bridge or unknown Southern Continent connecting Asia and Africa.
Question 1
Explain one effect that Ptolemy's Map had on exploration in the 15th Century.
Question 2
Describe one way that Ptolemy's Map changed between 1295 and 1486.
Question 3
Describe one difference between Ptolemy's Map and the way the planet actually is.
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