Thoughts on the Text
In this chapter we break from the stars to consider the text of Ptolemy’s Μαθηματικη Συνταξεως.
Or more specifically, how and why Ptolemy’s work survived.
We’ve already noted many errors in the surviving text of VII.i.,
Here we propose a general explanation for the presence of these errors. We talk about manuscript copies, and copyists’ errors, and reader corrections, and lack thereof.
tl:dr – While this brief section of Ptolemy’s work was copied recopied and re-recopied by rote, nobody really paid any attention to this crazy old experiment. Textual errors accumulated.
You know the drill by now.
Click the expanding arrows icon for fullscreen display