The Geography

PREFACE

[Ptolemy] affirms that if the map being circulated in ancient copies is indeed his, it is not far from the truth if someone, in painting the world through circles as we just mentioned, were to use straight lines. We, however, Most Blessed Father original: "B.P." for "Beatissime Pater," a traditional address for the Pope, while reading his writings during our leisure—which were not at all foreign to our profession—happened to come across a passage near the end of his first book. There, he instructs that in a map one should hold more firmly to what is more accurate and serious than to what is easier and weaker. Suddenly prompted by this reading, we began to think of how we might acquire some glory for ourselves.

Believing that an opportunity had been offered to us to create a monument to our industry and to let the strength of our talent grow, we immediately set about the map of the world with a swifter method that would seem more approved by him [Ptolemy]. For instead of circles, we made inclined lines that are not equidistant Germanus is referring to his "trapezoidal" projection, which improved upon Ptolemy's method by making the parallels straight lines rather than curves, while still accounting for the earth's curvature by narrowing them toward the poles., handling each one individually as he himself advises should be done where necessary. We also inferred the positions between the intersecting parallels from the ratios of both. To ensure that the calculation of the distance of any location—which could not be clearly enough discerned through equidistant lines—would be more certain, we did not hesitate to write down the number of miles milliaria A Roman mile, roughly 1,480 meters. contained in each degree of longitude on certain parallels of the individual maps.

What shall I say of the fact that, since in the mapping of ancient copies—both Greek and Latin—it is impossible to discern the size and shape of any of the islands which do not have their own detailed descriptions? Nor can one tell which peoples or nations, towns, cities, rivers, ports, lakes, and mountains were contained in any given region or province, or under what climate they were placed, or in what direction they face. We have distinguished certain of these—not all, but all those noted by Ptolemy himself in his writings—and we have enclosed them with certain dotted lines. We even restored the smaller islands to their proper shapes according to Ptolemy's data, so that even an unlearned person can easily distinguish them.

Furthermore, the very form of the map—which among others was certainly vast and exceeded the standard size of books—we have reduced to this format, most diligently preserving the dimensions of all places, so that it will hereafter be more pleasing to all who wish to look upon it. The rest of that great man's work we leave untouched as it was before, except as much as a love of study and a concern for readers suggested. Because of the changes of time that frequently occur in the world, we have added two most noble regions, namely Spain and Italy, whose locations have for the most part fallen from our knowledge due to the antiquity of the author. We have also added those regions which thrust themselves into the Sarmatian Ocean The ancient name for the Baltic Sea and parts of the North Sea. and appear under the parallel drawn through the Arctic circle: Denmark, Scania, Norway, Gothia, Sweden, Greenland, and the regions adhering to them with adjacent islands. Concerning these, neither Ptolemy himself, nor the diligent Strabo An ancient Greek geographer (c. 64 BC – 24 AD) whose work "Geographica" was a major source for the Renaissance., nor any other cosmographer left any records of description; we have placed them according to our own fashion, joining them with certain logic.

Having obtained healthy counsel which contributes to honor and fame, we have worked out the aforementioned regions in their proper places—as is right to behold—not by writing descriptions (lest we should perhaps disrupt the work of so great a man) but by painting them individually according to their kingdoms.

Therefore, when we had finished this map almost to our satisfaction, and we were considering to which prince we should dedicate it, surely no one seemed more worthy to us than you, Most Blessed Father, whom I would judge most worthy of a gift of this kind. For to whom should I dedicate the layout of all lands, if not to that prince to 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 leader of all priests.

Nor should it trouble you, Most Blessed Father, if this very work was brought to the Prince of the Este in Ferrara Borso d’Este, the Duke of Ferrara, who was a famous patron of the arts and map-making. before it was brought to you. For who will be so unfair a judge of things as to think that anyone was preferred by me to you in honor, when the whole Christian world grants the first place to the Apostolic See without controversy, so that no one is held second except after a long interval. For I did not think, nor did I deem it right, to send anything to you before it had been polished with the highest industry and worked on by lamplight, and had even undergone the judgment of many most learned men.