Claudius Ptolemaeus; Giovanni Antonio Magini — Geographiae universae tum veteris, tum novae (1597)

continues from previous page: as a part of the whole, and the relationship they have among themselves, as well as with respect to the form of the whole earth. This capacity embraces only the most principal things, such as gulfs, promontories, cities, nations, peoples, more famous rivers, marshes, large lakes, more famous mountains, and all those things which are chief and more noteworthy in their own kind. But the Chorographer describes all parts separately, considering even the smallest things that are in them, such as large and small mountains, rivers, torrents, rivulets, towns, villages, hamlets, and suchlike, without any regard for neighboring places, nor by comparing them with the circuit of the whole earth. And Ptolemy clearly shows this difference with the example of the art of painters: for a painter, wishing to design and represent to our eyes the entire head of an animal, will first design with outlines its greater and more principal members, such as the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, forehead, and other things of this kind, striving so that each one has the proper proportion and relation to the other; and perhaps he will not care to note the smallest things in each of those members, because he will not have a competent space to be able to do this. But if this painter wished to paint the eye only, or the ear, he could delineate it comfortably enough to be large, so that he could express in it every line and whatever minimal sign with colors and appropriate shadings, just as if it were natural; because here he does not care to make it so that it corresponds in size to other parts and to the entire head. So, likewise, it happens to the Geographer, who, wishing to delineate some part of the earth, as for example Italy, whether in a universal globe of the whole world or in a separate table or chart, would make it surrounded by waters on every side, except from the West, where it is joined to Germany and France; and he would design it with its extremities in the form almost of a human leg with a thigh, noting in it with a point, or with other signs, the greater part of the places and principal cities which can fall within that form. But the Chorographer will afterwards take any principal place, for example, Padua with its territory, and will complete a design similar to the natural, as much as will be possible, shading with due colors all places, such as towns, fortresses, villas, rivers, mountains, hills, groves, and whatever shall seem worthy of note; nor in such a design will he have any consideration of other cities or principal places of Italy or of the whole earth.

Chorography is for the most part concerned with the quality, etc. Here Ptolemy assigns the second difference, which is between Chorography and Geography, saying that the Chorographer is concerned with the description of the quality of a place and the accidental things that are there, that is, by describing which part is cultivated and which uncultivated; where there are trees, vines; whether the land is sandy, thick, moist, stony, and suchlike. The Geographer, however, considers quantity more—namely for the sake of measurement and the distances that places have only among themselves—than in comparison to the whole earth, and likewise also in comparison to the heavens, weighing under which parallel, under which meridian, each place is placed; furthermore, he also considers in a way the quality, that is, the figure of the earth and of any part of it.

Wherefore that one indeed needs a painting of places, etc. The third difference between these two faculties is that Geography needs nothing of the art of painting; but in Chorography, this art is so necessary that no one can describe cities similar to the natural in form and figure unless he is a painter. Wherefore, since Geography is concerned with delineations and signs, it seems to have a great conformity with that art which the Greeks call Ichnography the art of drawing ground plans

which is concerned with the first outlines of some building or other thing made on some surface, and this was invented so that the arrangement of parts, and the length and width of a building or other work, could be had. So, likewise, Chorography is assimilated to that art which is called Sciography shadow-drawing or Scenography perspective drawing by the Greeks; and this, by means of shadows and continuous symmetry or proportion, proposes before the eyes the form of whatever thing, both flat and elevated, and it is that art by which a field, city, house, and similar things are delineated.

Wherefore that one in no way needs a mathematical institute, etc. The fourth and last difference between Chorography and Geography is that for the latter, mathematical knowledge is necessary, as Ptolemy clearly shows; but that former one does not need mathematics. And here Ptolemy understands by the name of mathematics, Geometry, Arithmetic, and Astronomy, all of which contribute greatly to Geography, with no account taken of perspective, which is accustomed to provide great help to the art of painting, and consequently would be necessary for Chorography if excellent painters were not found who, by practice alone without any more perfect foundation, would make the most beautiful works very similar to nature—who, however, if they possessed the rules and theory of perspective, would finish their works more easily and quickly. That Geography is therefore necessary, Mathematics would be the reason, Ptolemy says, since a Geographer ought to consider the form or figure of the earth, its magnitude, how each place is situated with respect to the heavens, that is, in which climate it is placed, under which parallel, and to which meridian it is subjected; furthermore, how great is the magnitude of the longest artificial day and the longest night of that place; which are the fixed stars which become vertical, that is, which pass through the zenith of the inhabitants in that place; which are those which rise and set in the said place; all of which are greatly diversified according to the variety of the places of the earth and are indeed treated by the Mathematician and Astronomer, from whom the Geographer takes them as true and confirmed by valid demonstrations.

Whatever things are of the most subtle and most beautiful speculation, etc. Ruscello is deceived here in explaining this place when he thinks that Ptolemy says Geography notifies, with the aid of mathematics, the vertical fixed stars and those which are continuously moved around above and below the head, and he translates this passage into Italian poorly. Since, therefore, Ptolemy has said that Geography needs mathematics to explore the site and position of any place on earth with respect to the celestial circles, and also to know the quantity of artificial days and nights which happen in that place, and which fixed stars move through the vertex of the head, and which rise and set: he confirms here that such things are of the highest and most beautiful speculation, and that of human consideration, that is, it can be demonstrated by observations and mathematical reasons how the heaven remains naturally, namely, that it is a spherical figure, that it is revolved daily from East to West, and that it has the earth in its middle as a center. And he gives the reason why these things about the heaven can be shown, saying that it can be seen by us for the greater part, and indeed for the greater part, because nowhere on earth can the whole heaven be seen, except in places subject to the Equator, where all stars rise and set, since the poles of the world lie on the horizon. In any other place on earth, where the poles of the world fall outside the horizon, that is, where one is elevated and the other depressed, one part of the heaven always remains hidden, so that it can never be seen