Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus: Edition and study of the Arabic and Latin versions of Ptolemy’s astronomical and astrological works and related material
Links to the project
Until the 17th century, the astronomical and astrological works of Claudius Ptolemaeus (2nd century CE) were central source texts for the scientific understanding of the world of Arabic-Islamic and Latin-Christian cultures. The project studies the Arabic and Latin versions of Ptolemy’s major works, the Almagest and the Tetrabiblos, the minor works and pseudepigrapha, as well as the extensive tradition of commentaries, glosses and critiques by way of editions, manuscript catalogues, technical analyses, and historical studies.
The exploration of the Ptolemaic tradition enables us to gain new insights into the common foundations of Islamic and European culture in the Middle Ages, into the closely intertwined history of astronomy and astrology, into the accomplishments and continuous efforts of medieval scientists to reform these fields, and finally into the preconditions and achievements of the Copernican Revolution.
Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus: Edition and study of the Arabic and Latin versions of Ptolemy’s astronomical and astrological works and related material
Host Academy
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Location and federal state
Munich, Bavaria
Type
Editions: Medieval and (Early) Modern History
Project number
II.D.37