The Geography

This translation maintains scholarly rigor, preserving the specialized geographic and geometric terminology of the 15th century. Proper nouns have been left in their original Latin forms as requested.

PAGE 7

PROEMIUM

TO THE MOST BLESSED FATHER PAUL II, SUPREME PONTIFF.
NICOLAUS GERMANUS [GIVES] THESE GIFTS.

[Note: The first letter "N" of "Non" is missing, intended for a rubricated initial.]

[N]on it does not escape me, most blessed father, that since Ptolomeus the cosmographer depicted [the world] with the highest genius and exquisite doctrine, were we to attempt to innovate anything in these matters, it would follow that this labor of ours would incur the reproaches of many. For all who shall see this our depiction, which is contained in the two tables we send to you—especially those ignorant of geometric reasoning—seeing it somewhat abhorrent from that which Ptolomeus published, will certainly accuse us of either ignorance or rashness. For they will plainly affirm that we either did not know what we were doing or have rashly dared to contaminate such a great work, when they perceive it changed in some part; for they will not be able to persuade themselves, nor will they think it right to believe, that if any better way of depicting the world had existed, it would have escaped such a man—as great as he certainly was, if ever any other was. Since he was the only one who, among many excellent cosmographers who flourished before him, saw the method by which he might be the first to depict the position of all lands in tables. As if indeed either that prince of poets, Homerus, could not be set in order by Pisistratus, or the divine work of Lucretius be amended by Cicero, or the Toletane tables be corrected by Alfonso. Wherefore these people will surely be those who will praise nothing except what they trust they can understand, and whatever they hope to be able to embrace with mind and thought, they will judge that to be the good method of depicting the world. And when they are overwhelmed by the frequency of longitudinal lines that are not equidistant, they will say they prefer that sparse and vast depiction of Ptolomeus, distinct with straight lines, rather than this our manifold and convenient one, divided by hanging and inclined lines. Nor indeed do we say these things now as if anything is found in the depiction of Ptolomeus which ought to have been corrected or amended or set in order, since that man depicted everything so skillfully and prudently that nothing which pertains to the reasoning of the position of lands seems to be lacking in his tables. But [we say this] so that we might rebuke the ignorance of those who, while they possess no science or knowledge of such things, moved by a certain envy and malice, if they see anything published by another which is unequal to their own wits, immediately turn themselves to its disparagement. But if there shall be any who are not entirely unskilled in geometry or cosmography, and who have read Ptolomeus himself more often and then contemplated our depiction with a calm mind, these will certainly judge us worthy of some praise, not of reproach as those others think. For they will perceive that we have undertaken a work so difficult and arduous and led it so excellently to its conclusion that they are forced to marvel at it, especially when they find that we have deviated in nothing from the intention of Ptolomeus, though a little from his depiction. That you may now plainly perceive this to be so, Blessed Father, I ask that you attend for a little while to what he says and what we have done. Ptolomeus, as I have easily understood from his writings, teaches that there is a twofold reasoning for depicting the world. For he asserts that one is when we make straight lines instead of circles (to use his words, which are in the eighth book near the beginning); in the particular tables, we mark the meridians themselves not inclined and curved, but equidistant from each other. He testifies that the other [method] is when we express its form everywhere with curved and inclined lines, as the reasoning of the position of the earth itself demands, and not with straight lines. Furthermore, although he approves of the latter of these reasonings more as being more artistic and subtle, he nevertheless followed the former in his depiction.

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PROE[MIUM]

...if the depiction is his which is circulated in ancient copies, affirming it to be not far from the truth if anyone, in depicting the world, should make straight lines instead of circles, as we have just said. We, however, Blessed Father, when we were reading his writings during [our] leisure—which were not abhorrent to our profession—and had by chance happened to read that passage which is in his first book, almost at the end, where he teaches that one must hold more to that which is more just and serious in a depiction than to that which is easier and weaker; suddenly admonished by this reading, we began to think by what means we might acquire some glory for ourselves. For thinking that an occasion had been offered to us so that some monument of our industry might stand forth and the strengths of [our] genius might grow, we immediately set upon the depiction of the world by that swifter reasoning which seemed more approved by him. For instead of circles, we made inclined lines, not equidistant, all individually as he himself advises ought to be done where there was need; and we conjectured the positions of places between the falling parallels from the reasonings of both; and so that the reasoning of the distance of any place (which could not be clearly enough discerned through equidistant lines) might stand forth more certain, we did not refuse to ascribe to certain parallels of the individual tables the contents in miles of any degree of longitude. What shall I say of the fact that, since in the depiction of ancient copies, both Greek and Latin, it cannot be discerned of what quantity and form any of the islands may be which do not have their own descriptions, and what or which peoples or nations, towns, cities, rivers, ports, lakes, and mountains are contained in any region or province, and under what sky they are placed, or toward which part they turn; we [have distinguished] certain things from those—not yet all, but all which were noted by Ptolomeus himself even in his writings—we have thus distinguished and hedged them with certain lines marked point by point, and we have even reduced the smaller islands to their own forms through Ptolomeus, so that even one unskilled may easily be able to discern them. And we even reduced the form of the depiction itself (which certainly among others was most vast and exceeded the common measure of books) to that measure, the dimensions of all places having been most diligently preserved, which will be more pleasing hereafter to all wishing to look upon it. Other things of that so great a man we leave untouched as they were before, except as much as the love of study and the concern of readers suggested: so that on account of the changes of times which frequently happen in the world, [we added] two most noble regions, namely Hispania and Ytalia, the places of which, from the antiquity of the author, have for their greatest part fallen away from our knowledge; also those regions which thrust themselves into the Sarmatic ocean and occur under the parallel drawn through the Arctic circle, namely Dania, Scania, Norbegia, Gottia, Suetia, Gronelandia, and the regions adhering to them with the adjacent islands, concerning which Ptolomeus himself or the diligent Strabo, or any cosmographer, left no monuments of description; we placed them in our manner by joining them with certain reasoning. Having attained, moreover, by salutary counsel which confers to honor and fame, the aforementioned regions in their places—as it is right to behold—not by [merely] describing them (lest we should perhaps rend the work of so great a man), but by depicting them through their kingdoms, we have individually adorned them. Since therefore we had finished this depiction, as I said, almost to [our] wish, and were thinking to whom we should dedicate it, no one truly seemed more worthy to us than you, Blessed Father, whom I would judge most worthy of gifts of this kind. For to whom ought I to dedicate the position of all lands [if not] to that prince at whose most holy feet whatever is surrounded by the furthest ocean ought to be subjected? And what proceeds from a priest should be referred to the archimandrite of all priests. Nor let it move [you], Blessed Father, if this same work was brought to the Estense prince of Ferraria before it was brought to you. For who will be so unjust a judge of things as to think anyone was preferred by me to you in honor, since the entire Christian name concedes the first parts to the Apostolic See without controversy, so that no one is held second except after a long interval has been left? For I neither thought nor did I deem it right to send anything to you before, until it had now been labored over with the highest industry and polished, and had also undergone the judgment of many most learned men.

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[PROE]MIUM

For, not unmindful of the pontifical height, I did not prefer another to the Supreme Pontiff, but mindful of human imbecility and conscious of our thinness [limitations], I decreed that I must not stand by my own judgment in so great a matter until it had been approved by the greatest mathematicians. On which account, that [work] was sent by us into that city in which, both by the authority of the prince who favors good geniuses and by the abundance of learned men who have spent their entire age in this kind of literature, it could be most exactly [corrected], and who, by the conjunction of studies and long-standing acquaintance, being most friendly to me, would especially wish it to be rendered more emended. Now, therefore, having been inspected and approved by them, it seemed worthy that it should finally come forth into the sight of your Pontifical Majesty, not only more polished but also, as far as could be done by me, more ornate in its material itself. It shall be of your clemency, therefore, Blessed Father, so to receive the gift from a most devoted little servant that, even if the remaining things in it are not entirely worthy of the most ample praises, you may nevertheless not spurn our diligence and devotion toward your Holiness. For it belongs to the majesty which is at the pontifical summit to look not at how much I have given, but how much I wished to give. Love your suppliant.

THE FIRST BOOK OF CLAUDIUS PTHOLOMEUS THE COSMOGRAPHER CONTAINS THESE [CHAPTERS]:

• In what cosmography differs from chorography.
• What things are to be presupposed for cosmography.
• How, from the dimension of stadia of any straight distance, although it be not under the same meridian, the measure of the circumference of the earth is to be perceived, and vice versa.
• That from the things observed above, the notices of those traveling through are to be preferred.
• That more recent histories are to be believed on account of the changes which happen in the world at various times.
• Concerning the edition of cosmography by Marinus.
• Correction of the latitude of Marinus from the observation of the predecessors.
• The same correction from voyages made.
• That the Ethyopes are not to be placed more southern than the parallel opposite the parallel through Meroe.
• What things in longitude were poorly edited by Marinus.
• Correction of the longitude of the known earth from travels.
• The same correction from voyages.
• Concerning the voyage from the Aurea Chersonesus to Cattigara.
• Concerning those things in which Marinus dissents in particular exposition.
• That he omitted certain things concerning the boundaries of regions.
• In what things he dissents from the history of our time.
• Concerning the inconvenience of Marinus in the designation of the world.
• Concerning the convenience of our work in the designation of the world.
• Concerning the inequality of the dimension of the table of Marinus.
• What is to be preserved for the designation of the world on a plane.
• How our habitable [world] is to be designated on a sphere.
• Exposition of meridians and parallels to be designated on the world.
• How the earth is designated on a plane coequal to the spherical.

THE FIRST BOOK OF THE COSMOGRAPHY OF CLAUDIUS PTHOLOMEUS, AN ALEXANDRIAN MAN, BEGINS.

IN WHAT COSMOGRAPHY DIFFERS FROM CHOROGRAPHY. CHAPTER I.

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[BOOK] I.

[Note: Woodcut depicts a geographer/astronomer.]

COSMOGRAPHY is a designative imitation of the whole known world with those things which are almost universally joined to it. It differs from Chorography in this: for Chorography, cutting off particular places from the whole, treats of any of them by themselves, describing almost every single thing, even the smallest of those places conceived by it, such as ports, villas, villages, the courses of rivers, and other places of this kind. It is the property of Cosmography to show the one and same habitable earth known to us, how it holds itself in nature and position; and it intends only those things which are joined to it through more general descriptions of the world, such as around the larger towns, great cities, mountains, and the more notable rivers. Furthermore, [it treats] around all those things which, according to any kind, are worthy of greater note. The end of Chorography is to consider a part of the whole individually, as if one were to paint only an ear or an eye. But [the end] of Cosmography is to inspect the whole according to proportion, as if one were to designate an entire head. For in entire images, since it is necessary that the more important members be applied first, then those things which images and pictures receive are so located with equal dimension among themselves, and can be discerned by sight from a just distance, whether they are the whole or a part of that which is painted; it follows not unworthily nor beside the point to attribute to Chorography whatever are even the smallest [details], but to Cosmography the regions themselves with those things which are more generally annexed to them. For the more important parts of our habitable world which will be noted with equal proportion of dimensions are the provinces or regions, and they are held as members; the more notable differences are those which are in the regions themselves. Moreover, Chorography busies itself as much as possible around the quality more than around the quantity of those things which are described. For its care is entirely turned toward the likeness of the painting, the proportion of positions having been dismissed. Cosmography, however, intends more toward quantity than quality. For it considers the proportion of distances in all things, but the property of painting only in the images of the larger descriptions. Whence Chorography needs a picture, and no one will correctly compose it unless he is a painter. Cosmography, however, does not demand the same. For one will be able to fix places through pure lines and bare denotations and to inscribe general figurations. Wherefore the former has no need of mathematics, but of Cosmography that is the more important part. For in this it is necessary to contemplate the magnitude and form of the whole world. Furthermore, the positions relative to the whole world, so that it may be possible to say of a conceived part what kind and how great it is, and under which parallel of the celestial sphere it is located. Whence it will be able to discourse concerning the magnitude of days and nights, concerning the fixed [stars] which are above our vertex, concerning the stars which are carried above our horizon, and concerning all those things which thereafter look to the reasoning of our habitations. Which things, to be demonstrated to human wits by mathematical law, is most high and most beautiful: that the sky itself may be known as it is in its nature, since while it encompasses [the earth] it cannot be shown, [yet] I may be able to behold the earth itself through an image, which, although it is certain and very great, neither as a whole nor in part can surround us from those same [points] by which the sky can be traversed.

WHAT THINGS ARE TO BE PRESUPPOSED FOR COSMOGRAPHY.

The force of the end of cosmography and in what things it differs from chorography has been briefly noted in the prior sections. But since at present it is proposed to describe the habitable part of our world, as much as can possibly be done coequal within itself, we think it necessary to propose in the beginning that the first [requirement] of this matter is the history of travel, having obtained the most knowledge from the tradition of those who have most diligently explored the individual regions; and that this [pertains] to geometric consideration and tradition, that [pertains] to the observation of the fixed [stars].