The culture of Ancient Greece is rich in the works of many philosophers, among whom Claudius Ptolemy occupies a special place. He is the author of many scientific works. During his life, Claudius Ptolemy was engaged in geography, astronomy, and mathematics. He was a philosopher, theologian and astrologer. Claudius Ptolemy created a scientific picture of the universe
Biography of Claudius Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy - scientist, astrologer, geographer and philosopher. The creation of the geocentric system of the world is associated with his name. However, almost nothing is known about the early years of his life. The exact date of birth and death is also not. His contemporaries never mentioned the name of Claudius Ptolemy in their writings. This was due to the fact that in ancient times everyone was guided by a religious worldview, and it was practically forbidden to have their own scientifically based opinion. Since the writings of Ptolemy could shake the established opinion about the formation of the world, practically nothing was said about him.
Historians have the opinion that Ptolemy came from a family of crowned persons. However, this point of view was not confirmed. From the works of the physicist Philip Ball, it is known that Claudius lived for a long time in Alexandria on the territory of Egypt. The year of birth of Ptolemy is considered approximately 68-70 years. The exact date of birth is unknown. There is also no data on education or the family of the scientist. However, his name - Claudius - indicates the Roman origin of the scientist, and small biographical data indicate his connection with Greece. Therefore, it is not possible to establish accurate information about his nationality.
The main value is represented by the works of the scientist, which for a long time were considered the main materials on geography, physics and the system of the universe. True, at present these works cannot be compared with the modern scientific picture of the world. Due to the fact that for a long time nothing was known about Claudius, no records were kept about his appearance and family relationships.
The book of the philosopher Olympiador mentions the lifetime of Claudius in the Alexandrian city of Canop. And also according to the Almagest, Ptolemy conducted his astronomical research around 127-151. This helps establish the approximate years of the scientist's life. It should be noted that after the Almagest two more books were published, the work on which took the scientist another 10 years.
Work and writings of Claudius Ptolemy
Due to the specific features of that time, only a few works of the great scientist have reached us. The geocentric picture of the world created by Ptolemy caused a lot of negative feedback from the authorities and religion, so his works have not been published for a long time. A contemporary of the scientist was mentioned by his name in his works, therefore there is little information about the work of Ptolemy.
His most important works are Geography and Almagest. For a long time these books were a textbook for many future scientists. Their reliability has not been called into question for several centuries. In the book "Geography" Claudius gave the coordinates of various places, territories and states. Also in the work contained the first geographical maps.
About 40 years, Claudius worked in Egypt. Ptolemy was the author of many scientific books and treatises, which played a significant role in the development of Islamic and European science.
Claudius Ptolemy made many scientific observations and experiments. He ordered his first records to be carved on stones in Kanope. This information, called the "Canopian inscription", has survived to this day. Of particular importance was the composition Almagest, in which Claudius reliably substantiated the existence of a geocentric picture of the world, compiled a catalog of the starry sky, and also recorded astronomical knowledge from Ancient Greece and Babylon. These data remained immutable until the presentation of the ideas of Nicholas Copernicus. However, it was Almagest that made Ptolemy a famous scientist.
