Table of Noteworthy Cities (Ptolemy)
The Table of Noteworthy Cities (Ancient Greek: κανὼν πόλεων ἑπισήμον, romanized: Kanòn Póleon Episémon; also known as "the Kanon")[1] is a list of cities compiled by Ptolemy shortly after creating the Geography. Whilst the term "πόλεων ἑπισήμον/póleon episémon" (noteworthy cities) was in use before his time, Ptolemy is thought to have popularised the term. Roberts (1938) suggests that it formed an aid ("hilfsmittel") to the Handy Tables.
Text
[edit]Originally, the text of the Kanon was thought, for example by Vogul Fischer, to derive from Book 8 of the Geography,[2] however it is now demonstrated to be part of an independent textual tradition.[3][1] The first critical edition and translation into a modern language (German) appeared in 2006 by Koch, Mittenhuber and Stückelberger.[1]
Several medieval recensions of the text survive with the earliest being the early 3rd century P. Ryl. Gr. 3 522 in the Rylands Library of Manchester University;[4] the next 4 oldest manuscripts date to the 9th century:[3][1]
- L: Leiden, Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit, BPG 78 fol. 66r-74v[5]
- V: Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, gr. 1291 fol. 17v–21v[6]
- M: Venezia, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. 331 fol. 1r/v[7]
- f: Firenze, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Plutei 28.26 fol. 51r–54v[8]
Rylands Papyrus 522
[edit]The Rylands Papyrus 522 is the earliest surviving fragment of the Kanon, that from tables 2 to 6 (Europe),[1] dating from the early 3rd century AD, less than a generation after Ptolemy himself. According to Defaux, who produced the critical edition and translation in 2020, the following cities are mentioned in the fragment:[3][9]
| City | Latitude | Longitude |
| Clunia | 11° | 42° |
| Caesaraugusta | 14° 30’ | 41° 30’ |
| Gallia Aquitania | ||
| Mediolanum | 17° 40’ | 46° 45’ |
| Burgigala | 18° | 45° 30’ |
| Gallia Lugdunensis | ||
| Augustodunum | 23° 20’ | 46° 10’ |
| Lugdunum | 23° 15’ | 45° 20’ |
| Gallia Belgica | ||
| Gesoriacum | 22° 30’ | 53° 20’ |
| Durocottorum | 23° 15’ | 48° 30’ |
| Gallia Narbonensis | ||
| Massalia | 21° 10’ | 43° 5’ |
| Narbo | 21° 30’ | 43° 15’ |
| Arelate | 21° 15’ | 43° 20’ |
| Vienna | 23° | 44° |
| Nemausus | 22° | 44° 30’ |
| Germania | ||
| Pannonia Superior | ||
| Poetovio | ||
| Scarbantia | ||
| Emona | ||
| Pannonia Inferior | ||
| Servitium | ||
| Mursia | ||
| Sirmium | 4 4° 30’ | 45° [...] |
| Illyricym | ||
| Iader | 42° | 43° 20’ |
| Salonae | 4[3]° 30’ | 43° 40’ |
| Sidrona | [4]3° 15’ | 44° 30’ |
| Narona | 44° 20’ | [42°] 45’ |
| Scardona Insula | 41° 30’ | [43° 30’] |
| Italia | ||
| Nicotera Aricia | 28° | 4[...] |
| Terracinae | 37° 30’ | |
| Neapolis | ||
| Rhegium Iulium | ||
| Tarentum | ||
| Brundisium | ||
| Ancona | ||
| Ravenna | ||
| Aquileia | ||
| Praeneste | ||
| Pisae | ||
| Roma | ||
| Beneventum | ||
| Capua | ||
| Corsica Insula | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Ptolemaios, Klaudios (2017-07-04). Handbuch der Geographie: Ergänzungsband mit einer Edition des Kanons bedeutender Städte (in German). Schwabe Verlag Basel. ISBN 978-3-7965-3702-8.
- ^ Roberts, C. H. (1938). Catalogue of the Greek and Latin Papyri in the John Rylands Library Manchester, Volume III, Theological and Literary Texts (Nos. 457-551). Manchester University Library. pp. 142–6.
- ^ a b c Defaux, Olivier (2020-01-01). "Le Papyrus Rylands 522/523 et les tables de Ptolémée". Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.
- ^ "Episemon poleon kanon". luna.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ^ "Composite manuscript (Greek): 1. (ff. 1-2, 52-152) Tabulas manuales / Ptolemy, and other text(s). - 2. (ff. 3-51) Commentarius brevior / Theon of Alexandria, and other text(s) - And other part(s), BPG 78".
- ^ "Vat.gr.1291".
- ^ "Multimedia viewer". www.internetculturale.it. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ "Carta: 51r". tecabml.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ Defaux, Olivier (2017). The Iberian peninsula in Ptolemy's geography: origins of the coordinates and textual history (Thesis). Berlin: PRO BUSINESS digital printing Deutschland GmbH. ISBN 9783981638462. pp.122-6
External links
[edit]- Rylands Papyrus Greek 522 - a 3rd century fragment of the Kanon. See catalogue entry here.
- Codex Leidensis BGP 78 - 9th century recention of the Kanon.