Colloqui della Classe di Scienze

 Anno Accademico 2017/2018

 

Mercoledì 14 febbraio 2018

ore 15:00

 

Scuola Normale Superiore

Pisa

(Sala Stemmi)

Lucio Russo

(Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”)

 

 

Terrà un seminario dal titolo:

 

“Hellenistic Geographical Knowledge Hidden In Ptolemy's Data”

 

Abstract:

The systematic error on longitudes in Ptolemy’s Geographia and his reduced estimate for the dimension of the Earth are examined. The thesis is exposed that the shrinking of the dimension of the Earth is a consequence of the scale error on the longitudes, which, in turn, was originated by a misidentification of the Islands of the Blessed. The location of the Islands of the Blessed according to the source of Ptolemy should be identified in the Caribbean. Two other independent quantitative arguments lead to the same conclusion, which sheds new light on possible contact among civilizations.