Claudius ptolemy biography summary example for kids

Ptolemy's writings never ceased to be copied or commented upon, both in Late Antiquity and in the Middle Ages. However, it is likely that only a few truly mastered the mathematics necessary to understand his works. Ptolemy lived in or around the city of Alexandria , in the Roman province of Egypt under Roman rule , had a Latin name, which is generally taken to imply he was also a Roman citizen , cited Greek philosophers, and used Babylonian observations and Babylonian lunar theory.

However, there is no evidence to support it. Claudius Ptolemy died in Alexandria c.

When was ptolemy born

Astronomy was the subject to which Ptolemy devoted the most time and effort; about half of all the works that survived deal with astronomical matters. Although Babylonian astronomers had developed arithmetical techniques for calculating and predicting astronomical phenomena, these were not based on any underlying model of the heavens.

Ptolemy derived each of his geometrical models for the Sun, Moon, and the planets from selected astronomical observations done in the spanning of more than years. He presented his astronomical models alongside convenient tables, which could be used to compute the future or past position of the planets. The Almagest also contains a star catalogue , which is a version of a catalogue created by Hipparchus.

For over a thousand years, the Almagest was the authoritative text on astronomy across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.