Download or read book Ptolemy in Perspective written by Alexander Jones and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-12-10 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ptolemy was the most important physical scientist of the Roman Empire, and for a millennium and a half his writings on astronomy, astrology, and geography were models for imitation, resources for new work, and targets of criticism. Ptolemy in Perspective traces reactions to Ptolemy from his own times to ours. The nine studies show the complex processes by which an ancient scientist and his work gained and subsequently lost an overreaching reputation and authority.