Ptolemy conducted a number of experiments with curved polished iron mirrors, and discussed plane, convex spherical, and concave spherical mirrors in his Optics.

Although the terms astronomia and astrologia were used interchangeably in ancient texts, this also demonstrates the early definition of two differentiated subjects which were discussed at length by Ptolemy in two separate works.

The 171-168 BC conflicts over Coele-Syria, between Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Ptolemy VI Philometor, are discussed in Livy ’ s The History of Rome from its Foundation ( XLII. 29 ) and ( XLV. 11-12 ).

According to Strabo she was sometimes known as Cleopatra Kokke when discussed in relation to her son Ptolemy X.

He recommended to the British Association in 1837, and in great part executed, the reduction of Joseph de Lalande's and Nicolas de Lacaille's catalogues containing about 57, 000 stars ; he superintended the compilation of the British Association's Catalogue of 8377 stars ( published 1845 ); and revised the catalogues of Tobias Mayer, Ptolemy, Ulugh Beg, Tycho Brahe, Edmund Halley and Hevelius ( Memoirs R. Astr.

Although the hare does not represent any particular figure in Greek mythology, Lepus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.

Through the Middle Ages it was spoken of as the authoritative text on astronomy, with its author becoming an almost mythical figure, called Ptolemy, King of Alexandria.

Extracts from the first book of his Erythraean Sea, written in the first person and advocating a military campaign into the lands south of Egypt, led early scholars to deduce that Agatharchides was an important political figure of his time, and served as a guardian to one of the sons of Ptolemy VIII.

Coma Berenices is one of the few constellations to owe its name to a historical figure, in this case Queen Berenice II of Egypt, wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes ( fl.

This figure has also been interpreted as Ptolemy of Mauretania representing Africa, along with a German boy ( Europe ) and a Parthian prince ( Asia ).

The confusion originates with the astronomer Ptolemy, who " adopted the larger, erroneous, figure, with the result that henceforth the two versions of the Great Year-the Platonic Great Year, defined by the planets, and the precessional, defined by the stars-were to be increasingly confused.

There is good evidence that Ptolemy committed scientific fraud by making up observations that would give the figure of 36, 000 years even though the data available to him were good enough to get very near the true figure of 26, 000.

Beyond the entrance into the principal court are small temples, one of which, dedicated to Isis, Hathor, and a wide range of deities related to midwifery, is covered with sculptures representing the birth of Ptolemy Philometor, under the figure of the god Horus.

The methods of Claudius Ptolemy were used to compute the table, dividing the year into 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, 16 seconds — very close to the currently accepted figure.

Mages cast spells that turn Ptolemy into a shrunken figure that disappears into her hat, with a second dose causing death.

The earlier estimates rely on the fact that Cleomedes refers extensively in his writing to the work of mathematician and astronomer Posidonius of Rhodes ( 135 BC-51 BC ), and yet seemingly not at all to the work of Ptolemy ( 85-165 AD ).

Ptolemy Philometor, who was Alexander's father-in-law, went over to his side, and Alexander was defeated in the battle of Antioch ( 145 BC ) in Syria, sometimes known as the battle of the Oenoparus.

Here Dürer favours the methods of Ptolemy over Euclid.

In the Phaseis ( Risings of the Fixed Stars ) Ptolemy gave a parapegma, a star calendar or almanac based on the hands and disappearances of stars over the course of the solar year.

Sosibius is appointed by Ptolemy IV as his Chief Minister and immediately has a great influence over the young king, directing all of the affairs of state.

* Ptolemy III wins major victories over Seleucus II in Syria and Anatolia and briefly occupies Antioch.

Cleopatra's triumph over her lover is attested to by Caesar himself, who gibes that Antony “ is not more manlike / Than Cleopatra ; nor the queen of Ptolemy / More womanly than he ” ( 1. 4. 5-7 ).

The resulting Battle of Gaza leads to a triumph for Ptolemy and Seleucus over Antigonus ' son, Demetrius Poliorcetes (" sieger of cities "), who is captured but immediately released.

* Ptolemy gains control over Cyprus and the Phoenician coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon.

* After the Egyptian fleet participates decisively in the liberation of Athens from Macedonian occupation, Ptolemy obtains the protectorate over the League of Islanders, which includes most of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

Ptolemy had his first independent command during the campaign against the rebel Bessus whom Ptolemy captured and handed over to Alexander for execution.

X 1241 ), that Ptolemy II never offered the post to Callimachus, but passed him over for Apollonius Rhodius.

Mariette's excavation of the Serapeum at Memphis revealed the tombs of over sixty animals, ranging from the time of Amenophis III to that of Ptolemy Alexander.

A year after Ptolemy XII's exile, Cleopatra VI Tryphaena died and Berenice ruled alone over Alexandria from 57 to 56BC.

He decided therefore to either win him over to his side or at least discredit him with Ptolemy.

The most likely battle commemorated by this monument is, perhaps, the battle of Cos in 255 BC, in which Antigonus II Gonatas of Macedonia won over the fleet of Ptolemy II of Egypt.

Ogden suggests that Ptolemy took her over at some later point, though other writers believe she was always Ptolemy's companion.

In 720 BCE it was the site of the Assyrian king Sargon II's victory over the Egyptians, and in 217 BC the Battle of Raphia was fought between the victorious Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III.

With Cassander and Ptolemy both weakened, and Seleucus still occupied by attempting to assert his control over the East, Antigonus and Demetrius now turned their attention to Rhodes, which was besieged by Demetrius's forces in 305 BC.

Antiochus ' army was composed of 5, 000 light armed Daae, Carmanians and Cilicians under Byttacus the Macedonian, 10, 000 Phalangites ( the Argyraspides or Silver Shields ) under Theodotus the Aetolian, the man who had betrayed Ptolemy and handed much of Coele Syria and Phoenicia over to Antiochus, 20, 000 Phalangites under Nicarchus and Theodotus Hemiolius, 2, 000 Persian and Agrianian archers and slingers with 2, 000 Thracians under Menedemus of Alabanda, 5, 000 Medes, Cissians, Cadusii and Carmanians under the Aspasianus the Mede, 10, 000 Arabians under Zabdibelus, 5, 000 Greek mercenaries under Hippolochus the Thessalian, 1, 500 Cretans under Eurylochus and 1, 000 Neocretans under Zelys the Gortynian, 500 Lydian javelineers and 1, 000 Cardakes under Lysimachus the Gaul.

When Ptolemy IX died, Ptolemy X's wife Berenice III took over the throne for six months.

Pliny the Elder, in his book " Natural History " writes: " The physician Apollodorus, in the work in which he wrote recommending King Ptolemy what wines in particular to drink -- for in his time the wines of Italy were not generally known -- has spoken in high terms of that of Naspercene in Pontus, next to which he places the Oretic, and then the Aeneatian, the Leucadian, the Ambraciotic, and the Peparethian, to which last he gives the preference over all the rest, though he states that it enjoyed an inferior reputation, from the fact of its not being considered fit for drinking until it had been kept six years.

This can be seen in the way that Ptolemy avoids going into detail on the facets of astrology that rely on mythological, or symbolic associations, and how he is willing to outline the reasoning behind conflicting astrological proposals without revealing any personal preference for one scheme over another.

Maps based on scientific principles had been made since the time of Eratosthenes ( 3rd century BC ), but Ptolemy improved projections.

One reason is that Ptolemy estimated the size of the Earth as too small: while Eratosthenes found 700 stadia for a great circle degree on the globe, in the Geographia Ptolemy uses 500 stadia.

* Eratosthenes is appointed by King Ptolemy III Euergetes as head and third librarian of the Alexandrian library.

On the divisions and boundaries of Europe, Asia and Africa, he repeats Eratosthenes ; like all classical geographers from Alexander the Great ( except Ptolemy ) he regards the Caspian Sea as an inlet of the Northern Ocean, corresponding to the Persian and Arabian ( Red Sea ) gulfs on the south.

1241 indicates that Apollonius was succeeded in the position by Eratosthenes ; this must have been after 247 / 246 BCE, the date of the accession of Ptolemy III Euergetes, who was probably tutored by Apollonius and who appointed Eratosthenes.

The founder of the mathematical school was the celebrated Euclid ; among its scholars were Archimedes ; Apollonius of Perga, author of a treatise on Conic Sections ; Eratosthenes, to whom we owe the first measurement of the earth ; and Hipparchus, the founder of the epicyclical theory of the heavens, afterwards called the Ptolemaic system, from its most famous expositor, Claudius Ptolemy.