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Marinus of Tyre was the founder of mathematical geography and assigner of latitude and
lontitude in the design of maps. Evolution of cartography & Hall of Maps(2al3et l5arayet)
Phoenician Mathematical Geography, Maps and Masters of
Cartography in the Ancient World
Marinus of Tyre, Phoenicia, (ca. 70-130 A.D.) was a geographer and mathematician, as well as
the founder of mathematical geography. His chief merits were that he assigned to each
place its proper latitude and longtitude with equal spacing for lines (ca. 100 A.D.), and
introduced improvements to the construction of maps and developed a system of nautical
charts. His charts used the city of Rhodes as a central point of reference. He also carefully
studied the works of his predecessors and the diaries of travellers. His maps were the first
. Marinus estimated a length of 90,000 stadia
for the parallel of Rhodes, corresponding to a circumference of the Earth of
33,300 km, about 17% less than the actual value. (Both numbers depend upon
the length assigned to the Greek stade).
in the Roman Empire to show China.
Around 120 A.D., Marinus wrote that the habitable (good to live in) world was bounded on
the west by the Fortunate Islands. The status of the Fortunate Islands as the western
edge of the known world was more formally established when Claudius Ptolemy (90 - 168
A.D.) adopted the Fortunate Islands as the prime meridian for his Geographia, written ca.
150 A.D. He acknowledged his great obligations to Marinus. Geographia was lost to the west
during most of the Medieval period, but was rediscovered during the fifteenth century. It
was the most famous classical map of the world, unsurpassed for almost 1500 years. The
sources that Ptolemy cited most consistently were the maps and writings of Marinus, as well
as adopting his ideas and practices. Ptolemy’s commentaries on Marinus are the only records
remaining about the latter’s work, as none of his maps or texts has survived.
1700 years before the modern discovery of the source of the Nile, Marinus wrote an
account of a journey to the Ruwenzori ca. 110 A.D. He related the tale of a Greek merchant,
Diogenes who claimed a 25 day journey inland from the African East coast to "two great
lakes and the snowy range of mountains where the Nile draws it's twin sources." Ptolemy
and Marinus were major authorities used by Columbus in determining the circumference of
the globe.
Phoenicia's Hall of Maps
The collection of maps in this virtual hall provides a visual tour on the evolution of
cartography through centuries, from 6200 B.C. till the Roman era. In addition, maps of
Phoenicia Prima, the Phoenician Colonies, Settlements and Trading Posts, and a unique
Phoenician coin which is believed to contain a map of the world.
References
1. ^ Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider (ed.): "Marinus", Brill's New
Pauly, Brill, 2010:
M. of Tyre (Μαρῖνος; Marînos), Greek geographer, 2nd cent. AD
2. ^ George Sarton (1936). "The Unity and Diversity of the
Mediterranean World", Osiris 2, p. 406-463 [430].
3. ^ Harley, J. B. (John Brian); Woodward, David. The History of
cartography. Humana Press. pp. 178–. ISBN 9780226316338.
http://books.google.com/books?id=uJaP4i7-_MIC&pg=PA178.
Retrieved 4 June 2010.
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A. Forbiger, Handbuch der alien Geographie, vol. i. (1842);
E. H. Bunbury, Hist. of Ancient Geography (1879), ii. p. 519;
E. H. Berger, Geschichte der wissenschaftlichen Erdkunde der
Griechen (1903).
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public
domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh
ed.). Cambridge University Press.