The Balkans on the geographical maps of Claudius Ptolemy

Abstract

The paper deals with the historical-geographical analysis of Ptolemy's maps known as Table V and Table IX. The maps were found in the "Urbinas Manuscript" of Ptolemy's work "Geography", which originated in the first half of the 2 nd century AD, so it is accepted that the maps are from that period also. On the Fifth Map the western part of the Balkan Peninsula was presented, and on the Ninth Map the area of the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, in the pre-Roman and early Roman era. On maps and in the text, which serves as an explanation of the maps, there are plenty of data from topography and ethnography, and astronomical positions for more places. The data on the maps are not always consistent with the information in the text. Although there are also false geographical representations, these maps were ahead of their time in terms of cartogra-phic methodology, geographical precision and toponomy. For over a millennium, this Ptolemy's work was lost and unknown in Europe, and when it was found in the 15th century, it significantly affected the Renaissance of geography and cartography, and the Renaissance of scientific thought in general. In this paper, the author deals with features and content analysis and identification of toponyms that have been presented on these maps, which have been aged more than two thousand years.

Rad se bavi istorijsko-geografskom analizom Ptolemejevih karata poznatih pod nazivom Tabula V i Tabula IX. Karte su nađene u prilogu "Urbinskog rukopisa" Ptolemejevog dela "Geografija", koje je nastalo u prvoj polovini II veka nove ere, pa se uzima da su i karte iz tog perioda. Na Petoj karti je predstavljen zapadni deo Balkanskog poluostrva, a na Devetoj karti prostor istočnog dela Balkanskog poluostrva, u predrimsko i rano rimsko doba. Na kartama i u tekstu, koji služi kao objašnjenje karata, ima dosta podataka iz topografije i etnografije, i astronomskih pozicija za više mesta. Podaci na kartama nisu uvek podudarni sa podacima u tekstu. Iako na njima ima i pogrešnih geografskih predstava, ove karte su u pogledu kartografske metodologije, geografske preciznosti i toponomastike, bile ispred svog vremena. Više od jednog milenijuma ovo Ptolemejevo delo bilo je izgubljeno i nepoznato u Evropi, a kada je pronađeno u XV veku bitno je uticalo na renesansu geografije i kartografije, pa i na renesansu naučne misli uopšte. Autor se u ovom radu bavi karakteristikama i analizom sadržaja i identifikacijom toponima koji su predstavljeni na ovim kartama starim već više od dve hiljade godina.