A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

570 PTOLEMAEUS. PTOLEMAEUS.
the plan we intend to adopt in this article. Pto- in several places of Schweiger, Hoffmann*, &c.,
lemy stands before us in two distinct points of would rather puzzle a beginner. To distinguish
view: as a mathematician and astronomer; and the two, the Arabs probably called the greater
as a geographer. There must of course be a separate work gs~yAi7x, and afterwards,ucylfra-s: the title
treatment of these two characters. As an astro- Almagest is a compound of this last adjective and
nomer,it must be said that the history of the science, the Arabic article, and must be considered as the
for a long train of centuries, presents nothing but European as well as the Arabic vernacular title.
comments on his writings: to treat the history To this name we shall adhere; for though Syntaxis
of the latter would be so far to write that of astro- be more Greek, yet, as there are two syntaxes of
nomy itself. We shall, therefore, confine our- Ptolemy, and others of other writers, we prefer a
selves to the account of these writings, their prin- well-known and widely-spread word, adopted by
cipal contents, and the chief points of their biblio- all middle Latin writers, and clothed with numegraphical annals, without reference to commentators, rous historical associations. It reminds us, too, of
or to the effect of the writings themselves, on the those who preserved and communicated the work
progress of science. And, though obliged to do in question; and but for whose just appreciation
this by the necessity of selection which our limits it would have probably been lost.
impose, we are also of opinion that the plan is On the manuscripts of the Almagest, see Faotherwise the most advantageous. For, owing to bricius (Bib. Graec. vol. v. p. 281) and lIalma's
that very close connection of Ptolemy's name with preface, p. xlv. &c. Doppelmnayer (we copy Halmna)
the history of astronomy of which we have spoken, says the manuscript used by Grynoeus, the first
the accessible articles on the subject are so discur- therefore printed from, was given to the Nurenmberg
sive, that the reader may lose sight of the distinc- library by Regiomontanus, to whom it was given
tion between Ptolemy and his followers. The two (probably as a legacy) by Cardinal Bessarion. De
other great leaders, Aristotle and Euclid, are pre- Murr could not find this manuscript at NuTremberg,
cisely in the same predicament. but only that of Theon's commentary, given by
Of Ptolemy himself we know absolutely nothing Regiomontanus, as described: but Montignot tesbut his date, which an astronomer always leaves in tifies to having caused it to be consulted for his
his works. He certainly observed in A. D. 139, version of the catalogue. Hahma somewhat hastily
at Alexandria; and Suidas and others call him concludes that there are difficulties in the way of
Alexandrinus. If the canon presently mentioned supposing this manuscript to have been used: but
be genuine (and it is not doubted), he survived public libraries do sometimes lose their manuscripts.
Antoninus, and therefore was alive A. D. 161. Old This Basle edition may count as one manuscript
manuscripts of his works call him Pelusiensis and unknown. Ilalma corrected its text by various
Pheludiensis. But Theodorus, surnamed Melite- others, in the Royal Library at Paris, principally
uiiota (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. x. p. 411), in the five, as follows:-First, a Paris manuscript (No.
thirteenth century, describes him as of Ptolelmais in 23839) nearly perfect, cited by some who have used
the Thebaid, called Hermeius. Accordingly, our per- it as of the sixth century, but pretty certainly not
sonal knowledge of one of the most illustrious men later than the eighth. It bears a presentation inthat ever lived, both icn merits and fame, and who scription to John Lascaris, of the imperial family,
mesided and wrote in what might well be called the who is known to have been sent by Lorenzo di
sister university to Athens, is limited to two accounts Medicis twice to Constantinople, after its ocof one circumstance, between the uncertainties of cupation by the Turks, to procure manuscripts.
which it is impossible to decide, and which give Secondly, a F/orence manuscript of the twelfth cellhis birth to opposite sides of the Nile. Weidler tury, marked 2390. Thirdly, a Venice manuscript,
(Hist. Astron. p. 177) cites some description of his marked 31 3, supposed to be of the eleventh century.
personal appearance from an Arabic writer, who Fourthly, two Vatican manuscripts, marked 560 and
does not state his source of information. Some 184, of about the twelfth century. These Florence,
writers call him king Ptolemy, probably misled by Venice, and Vatican manuscripts were probably
the name, which is nevertheless known to have returned to their original owners at the peace of
been borne by private persons, besides the astro- 1815. The seizures made by the French in Italy
iomer. On this, and some other gossip not worth have procured us the only two editions of Euclid
citing, because no way Greek, see Halmna's preface, and Ptolemy which give various readings.
p. lxi. Ptolemy is then, to us, the author of The first appearance of the Almagest in print is
certain works; and appears in the character of pro- in the epitome left by Regiomontanus, and edited
mulgator of his own researches, and deliverer and by Grossch and Roemrer, Venice, 1496, folio,
extender of those of Hipparchus. In this last headed " Epytoma Joannlis de nlonte regio in alcharacter there is some difficulty about his writings. magestum Ptolonlei." The dedication to Cardinal
It is not easy to distinguish him from his illustrious Bessarion 6alls it the epitome of Purbach, who-compredecessor. It is on this account that we have menced it, and his pupil Regiomontanus, who fideferred specific mention of HIPPARCHUS, as an nished it. It is a full epitome, omlittinlg, in partiastronomer, to the present article.
The writings of Ptolemy (independently of the * So far was this appropriation of the word
work on geography, which will be noted apart) are Syntaxis carried, that it was applied to various asas follows:- trological works having nothing to do with Ptolemy.
1. MEy-aAr.VTera~ts rTs'Ao-rpovo~tfas, as Fa- I Hoffman has two works in his list which he supbricius has it, and as it is very commonly called: poses to be English translations of the astrological
but the Greek, both in Grynoeus and Halmai, begins syntaxis, because they bear as titles " the C(ompost
with caeOsgaLKelCs o-UCr'TE'oS 3LMAXov 7rpCrTo0. But of Phtolomeus." We have one of them; which is
the Tetrabiblus presently mentioned, the work oln'a common astrological almacack, having just as
astrology, is also rVTvrals, in Fabricius eaOj1uanlccirc nmlch relation to Ptolemy as the current nluber of
oUvYaTLs: and the heading MlIathceiataca S3yltaxis, Moore, ramcely, a folly in commllon with him.