I B 2, 2.

Equation ofTime 63
Linear interpolation for the given values of" shows that to K1 = 144;30 belongs
a K1 = 145;53,14 and to K2 =249;30 a mean position iC2 =247;15,44. Consequently
we have A.i=AK= 101;22,30. For the right ascensions we find from the tables
Aim. III, 8 a difference A a= 317;31- 207;50 = 109;41. Hence
(2)
This result agrees with Ptolemy's estimate of 8 1/3° as differenq: between mean
and true interval. 1 It will be shown presently that this difference represents the
maximum value. 2
B. Of particular importance are time intervals which begin at the moment t0
which is chosen as starting point, "epoch," oftables- in the case of the Almagest
Nabonassar 1, Thoth 1, Alexandria noon. For this date Ptolemy computed the
mean longitude I 0 by using the time difference At= 879 Eg. years 66d 2h between
t0 and an observation of his own of an autumnal equinox at which moment the
mean eccentric anomaly of the sun was iC = 116;40. 3 In order to find ie0 at epoch
one should, however, multiply the mean motion v of the sun not simply by At but
by the accurate value At.
For this we have to find the difference of right ascension Aa=a-a0• For
Ptolemy's observation (A.=.a.0°) we have a= 180°. In order to find a0 we need
the true longitude A.0 of the sun at epoch. Using the value A iC' =At · v as approximation
for A I= A iC one finds A iC' = 211;25,43. Hence approximately
Ko= 116;40-211;25,43=265;14,17
to which belongs, according to Alm. III, 6, a true longitude
A.~=][ 5;30+265;14,17 +2;23 = }(3;7.
The corresponding right ascension is a0 = 335;6 and therefore
A a= 180-335;6=204;54.
Since Ai~AiC'=211;26 we obtain for the difference between mean and true
interval the estimate
At-At=Aa-Ai= -6;32°~ -0;26h.
Consequently the mean solar motion between the date of epoch and Ptolemy's
observation was 0;26h · vofh smaller than according to the computation simply
with At. It is also clear that the small inaccuracies of the preceding deductions
have no appreciable influence on the final solar longitude. Thus we have found
for the corrected mean motion
AI=AiC' -0;26. ii~211;26-0;1 =211;25
that is exactly the value given by Ptolemy, whereas computation with At results
in a mean motion of 211;25,43 thus nearer to 211;26.
In other words Ptolemy's epoch value I 0 = }(0;45 seems to be in fact corrected
for the equation of time although Ptolemy makes no mention of it in III, 7. One
1 Cf. above p. 62.
2 Below p. 67.
3 cr. above p. 59.