Top of page

Map Sixth Map of Asia. Sexta Asiae Tabula

About this Item

Title

  • Sixth Map of Asia.

Other Title

  • Sexta Asiae Tabula

Summary

  • Claudius Ptolemaeus (circa 100--circa 170), known as Ptolemy, was an astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Greek descent who lived and worked in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. In his Geography, Ptolemy gathered all the geographic knowledge possessed by the Greco-Roman world. He invented the geographic coordinate system and devised a method of using a grid or graticule made up of lines of latitude and longitude to plot the locations of some 8,000 places on the map that encompassed the known world at the height of the Roman Empire. Ptolemy's work was lost to Europe in the Middle Ages, but at the beginning of the 14th century Byzantine scholars began introducing versions of it into Italy. This is the second map of the Arabian Peninsula ever printed, preceded only by the Bologna edition of Ptolemy in 1477. The first printer-publisher associated with this second edition was Konrad Sweynheim (died 1477), who established the first printing press in Italy in 1464 and who probably started work on the Geography several years before his death. The quality of the engraving and print for this Rome edition is held to be much superior to the Bologna edition. After Sweynheim's death, the engraving and printing was completed by Arnold Buckinck. As with other maps from the 1478 atlas, this one is printed from two plates and joined in the middle. Ptolemy's Geography included major inaccuracies, attributable in part to his miscalculating the size of the Earth, which he believed was smaller than it is. European explorers gradually completed and corrected Ptolemy's maps, but the ancient geographer's methods remained important as a basis for modern cartographic practice. The print run of the edition is not known; however, this map from the collections of the Qatar National Library is considered to be rare and important. Until the 1477 edition was definitively dated, the 1478 edition was believed to be the first-ever printed atlas.

Names

  • Ptolemy, 2nd century Cartographer.
  • Sweynheim, Konrad, died 1477 Engraver.

Created / Published

  • Rome : Arnold Buckinck, 1478.

Headings

  • -  Bahrain
  • -  Oman
  • -  Qatar
  • -  Saudi Arabia
  • -  United Arab Emirates
  • -  Yemen
  • -  100 to 170
  • -  Arabian Gulf
  • -  Arabian Peninsula
  • -  Geography, Ancient
  • -  Persian Gulf
  • -  Red Sea

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "Scale approximately 1:9,700,000"--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 map ; 46 x 26 centimeters.
  • -  Reference extracted from World Digital Library: G.R. Tibbets, Arabia in Early Maps (New York: Oleander Press, 1978).
  • -  Original resource at: Qatar National Library.
  • -  Content in Latin.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021668710

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Ptolemy, 2Nd Century Cartographer, and Konrad Sweynheim. Sixth Map of Asia. Rome: Arnold Buckinck, 1478. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668710/.

APA citation style:

Ptolemy, 2. C. C. & Sweynheim, K. (1478) Sixth Map of Asia. Rome: Arnold Buckinck. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668710/.

MLA citation style:

Ptolemy, 2Nd Century Cartographer, and Konrad Sweynheim. Sixth Map of Asia. Rome: Arnold Buckinck, 1478. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021668710/>.