Pre Modern Period :

Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

After the Greek, the political power passes into the hands
of the Romans and much of the Greek traditions in
Geography were carried forward into ancient Roman
scholarship.

The Romans major contribution was mainly to Historical

and Regional Geography.

Strabo (64 BC – 20 AD) and Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD) were

the two most important scholars of the Romans period
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Strabo (64 BC – 20 AD):

One of the leading scholar of his period.
He laid the foundation of chorological writing in
geography, and he was the first who codified the term
chorology most elegantly
Strabo wrote a work of 17 volumes of geographical treatise

His geographical treatise namely, ‘Geographica’ was an

encyclopaedic description of the known world
Strabo’s greatest contribution lies in the field of political
geography.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Strabo (64 BC – 20 AD):

He is the first scholar who conceived the idea of a complete
geographical treatise comprising all four branches of the
discipline namely, mathematical, physical, political and
historical geography.
His geographical treatise namely, ‘Geographica’ was an
encyclopaedic description of the known world.
It chief value was that it preserved for posterity, many writings
which he annotated and cited.
Geographica also included attempt to explain cultural
distinctiveness, types of governments and customs in
particular places etc.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Strabo (64 BC – 20 AD):

The different volumes of Strabo’s geographical treatise dealt with the
following contents –
the first two books are devoted to an introduction of the subject in
which he discusses the aims and objective of his treatise.

The second volume examines in detail the work of Eratosthenes and

discusses the various changes introduced by him in the map of the
world.

The third book gives an account of Europe with stress on the

geography of Spain, Gaul (France) and Britain.

The fourth book is devoted to Gaul, Britain and the Alps.

Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Strabo (64 BC – 20 AD):

The fifth and sixth book are devoted to Italy and Sicily.

In the seventh book, he gave a brief and general account of the

countries extending of the east of Rhine and to the north of Denube.

The eight, ninth and tenth books are devoted to geography of

Greece and its neighbouring Islands.
Six books – eleventh to sixteenth are devoted to the geographical
description of Asia,

the seventeenth and the last book is devoted to Africa.

Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD):

He was one of those geniuses who developed principles of
Mathematical geography.
His writings inspired the geographers and explorers of the
great age of discovery to explore the Terra-Incognita.
Apart from improving the works of his predecessors,
presenting them in a more convenient shape and scientific
manner. Ptolemy’s own contribution in the field of
geography, especially in mathematical geography, is highly
commendable and has been acknowledged throughout the
ages.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD):

His best known works are ‘The Syntaxis’ (The Almagast)
and The Outline of Geography

The Almagast deals with complicated problems of

mathematical geography and astronomy.

His other book, The Outline of Geography, was devoted to

the exact determination of the position of the places by
means of latitudes and longitudes.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD):

In the opinion of Ptolemy, the purpose of geography was to
provide ‘a view of the whole’

He also opined that : ‘Geography is a science which deals with

the art of map-making’

The basic objective of Ptolemy was “to reform the map of the
world” on the basis of astronomical principles

After the completion of Almagast, Ptolemy produced a guide to

Geography, consisting of eight volumes, out of which six are
almost exclusively devoted to the astronomical tables, latitudes
and longitudes of different places.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD):

The major contribution of Ptolemy in the field of
mathematical geography can be studied under the sub-
headings.
*Circumference of the earth,
*dimensions of the habitable world,
*prime meridian,
* graticule and design of projection, and
*finally, the salient features of his map and geographical
account of the major features of the different parts of the
world.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD):

In the art of map making the great contribution made by
Ptolemy was his modification and improvement over the
previously drawn maps and this he did by adopting a
projection for the world map showing the graticule of
latitudes and longitudes. He was infact, far a head of his
predecessors with regard to the mathematical
construction of projections. He presented the equator and
the latitudes by parallel curves, and the meridians as
straight lines cutting the equator at right angles that
converge at a point (pole) situated beyond the limits of the
map.
Pre Modern Period :
Geographical thinking during Classical Periods (Romans Periods)

Ptolemy (90 – 168 AD):