Research Notes


Map Group PTOLEMY 1578

Ptolemy 1578
Map, British Isles from Ptolemy's data, by Gerhard Mercator, 1578.
The geographical data, a world gazetteer 'Geographia', was compiled by Claudius Ptolemy and later used by various cartographers to draw maps, often referred to as Ptolemy maps. Gerhard Mercator, much of whose life was concerned with revising Ptolemy's data, produced this map in 1578.

   These notes about Hampshire are made from Ptolemy's Map of Roman Britain, drawn and published by Gerhard Mercator, 1578.
Mercator, Gerhard: 1578: Tabulae Geographicae Cl. Ptolemaei ad mentem autoris restitutae et emendatae Per Gerardum Mercatorem: (Cologne, Germany)
The example studied was brought into Hampshire CC Museums Service for identification and studied with the kind permission of the owner.
The map is in its 1st state, published in further editions 1584, 1605, 1618-19. The plate was altered and published in a 2nd state 1695 to 1704; and in a 3rd state 1730. The map size is wxh = 33.5x40.5cm.

HAMPSHIRE from GEOGRAPHIA
MAP FEATURES
REFERENCES
ITEMS in the Collection
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HAMPSHIRE from GEOGRAPHIA
The geographical data in 'Geographia', compiled by Claudius Ptolemy, relevant to the Hampshire area is:-
Location of Albion island of Britannia (1st map of Europe)
...
Description of the south side below which is the Britannicus ocean. ...
...
mouth of the Alaunus river 17 40 52 20
Great harbour 19 - 53 -
mouth of the Trisantonis river 20 20 53 -
...
Below the Atrebati, and the Canti are the Regni and the town
Noeomagus 19 45 53 5
Below the Dobuni are the Belgae and the towns
...
Venta 18 40 53 -
...
Below Magnus Portus (Great harbour) is the island Vectis, the middle of which is in 19 20 52 20
The figures are longitude and latitude in degrees and minutes on Ptolemy's scales.
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MAP FEATURES
NB mostly only features relevant to Hampshire are noticed.
title    
Printed at the top:-
image snip from map
EUROPAE .I. TAB:
Europe map 1.
The map shows the British Isles with parts of France and Germany.

orientation    
up is N    

The map is printed with north at the top.

lat and long scales    
image snip from map
The map has latitude and longitude scales printed in the map borders, based on a prime meridian 20 degrees W of Greenwich, perhaps the Canary Islands?

There is an interesting discussion of the projection of the Ptolemy maps of Britain, with an explanation of the strange distortion of Scotland etc, in:-
Strang, Alastair: 1998: Recreating a possible Flavian map of Roman Britain with a detail map of Scotland: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: vol.128: pp.425-440

sea area    
sea pecked    

image snip from map
The sea is engraved with a pecked pattern. There is a monstrous fish west of Ireland; and a fishing scene in the North Sea. The sea area south of Hampshire is labelled:-
Britannicus oceanus

coast line    
coast shaded    

The coast line is shaded for emphasis.

rivers    
image snip from map
A few rivers are drawn with wiggly lines; labelled at their sea mouths. The Hampshire area has:-
Alaunis flu:
Trisanton fluvius
though not in their expected positions.

tribal areas    
This map represents an England well before the concept of county! It shows british tribal areas, bounded by dotted lines, each labelled. The south central area includes:-
image snip from map
Belgae
Durotriges
Regni
A match to other plots of tribal areas has not been made; and is likely to be hard. Winchester - Venta Belgarum, is drawn in the region of the Belgae.

settlements    
image snip from map
A few settlements are shown, positioned by a circle, with a tower; labelled in italic lowercase text. Hampshire places, roughly, seem to be:-
Magnus portus
Venta

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REFERENCES
Mercator, Gerhard: 1578: Tabulae Geographicae Cl. Ptolemaei ad mentem autoris restitutae et emendatae Per Gerardum Mercatorem: (Cologne, Germany)
Close, Charles, Sir: 1931: Ancient Maps of Great Briatin, with special reference to Hampshire: ProcHFC: vol.10: pp.211-219
Stevenson, Edward L (translator; editor): Claudius Ptolemy The Geography: Dover Publications (New York, New York, United States)
also see:- 
  Ptolemy 1793, for more about Ptolemy's Geography

ITEMS  in HMCMS Map Collection and Private Collections   (scanned item in bold)
  private collection (17) -- map
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   All Old Hampshire Mapped Resources