DER GLOBUSFREUND

WISSENSCHAFTLICHE ZEITSCHRIFT
fur
GLOBEN-UNDINSTRUMENTENKUNDE
JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF GLOBES
AND RELATED INSTRUMENTS
Nr.35-37
REPORT
on the
Vlth INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
OF CORONELLI SOCIETY
organized with the assistence of
RIJKSMUSEUM "NEDERLANDS SCHEEPVAART MUSEUM"
Amsterdam
WIEN 1987
-9b-
FIORINI - REWARD
for articles and monographs of particular value on old globes
During the VI Coronelll Symposium Mr. Vladlmlro Valerlo addressed to the
participants, after having Introduced the figure of Matteo Fiorlnl as a prominent
scholar In our field of Interest (see the Introduction to Mr. Vale rio's paper on the
Farnese Atlas here published) a request of celebration of the coming centenary
of Florlni's works on old globes. It means, In a certain way, to celebrate the birth
of our field of study.
We suggest that a Commission should organize a Fiorini reward for articles
and monographs of particular value on old globes. The prize might also be
periodically assigned and the Societe Geograflca Italiana (first publisher of the
Fiorlnl's work) and other societies might be consulted to adhere to the Initiative.
Vladrmlro VALERIO Rudolf SCHMIDT
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HISTORiOGRAPHIC AND NUMERICAL NOTES ON THE ATLANTE FARNESE
AND ITS CELESTIAL SPHERE
Fig. 18, 19
Vladlmlro Valerlo
Rlchlederebbe un trattato a parte
quella Ingegnosa scoltura, e forse un
glorno l'otterre, per soddlsfazlone de
gll erudltl.
(F. Blanchlnl, La Istarla Unlversale,
1697)
First of alii must pay a sort of debt of gratitude to a person whose work has
been and still Is a milestone In the history of ancient globes, which after his
publications soon became an autonomous discipline. His name Is Matteo Florlnl
(1827-1901) who was professor of theoretical geodesy at the University of
Bologna since 1860 (1 ). He was also author of a fundamental study on map pro-
jections which were viewed for the first time within a historical background (2).
Between 1893 and 1898 he gathered Information on old globes preserved In Italy
making use of a form which was sent to Italian libraries, archives, Institutions
and private collectors. The Inquiry was a consequence of a vote expressed
during a sessIon of the first Italian Geographical Conference held In Genova In
1892. A long article appeared In the years 1893 and 1891t In the "Bollettlno della
Societe Geograflca Italiana" (3). A German revised edition of this paper was
published by S. GUnther In 1895, and It Is often referred to as Florlnl-GUnther
work on globes (It).
In 1899 a prominent study on old globes came to light. The book titled "Sfere
terrestrl e celestl dl autore Itallano oppure fatte 0 conservate In Italia" Is the
first of such a kind In the world (5) and Is much more than the first national
catalogue of globes (6). In fact, the pioneering work provided a fair base for
several publications and nowadays - though aged - Is still a mine for the biblio-
graphical Information gathered In the footnotes.
Florlnl's work has also been Influencing scholars who didn't know the original
Italian edition by the mean of the better known "Terrestrial and Celestial Glo-
bes" by E. L. Stevenson (7). It Is the case to read again what Stevenson wrote In
the prefacel "The author makes In this place special mention of his Indebtedness
to the studies of the distinguished Italian scholar, Professor Matteo Florlnl,
adding that with some propriety his name might have a place on the title page.
Had there not been a ready access to his Important works, had the Italian Geo-
graphical Society not so graciously expressed to the author Its willingness for
the free use of as much of his published Investigations as might be desired, ,
the preparation of this work necessarily would have extended over a conside-
rable period of time" (8). After having made reference to Florlnl's book Steven-
son went on writing: "Not an Inconsiderable part of his descriptive details has
been appropriated, being given In free translation or In paraphrase, quotation
marks having been omitted".
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The success and the good luck of Stevenson's work relegated In the oblivion
the parent book by Florlnl; unfortunately prefaces are not always carefully read
out. It Is really a hard job to find today any direct quotation from Florlnl as well
as the mere appearance of his works In the literature of non Italian publications.
We have also .to point out that Stevenson did not Improve everywhere Florlnl's
state of knowledge. For Instance, the fifteen pages devoted to the Atlante
Farnese In 1899 remain the best modern description of It, while Stevenson made
a step backward In his sixteen line short description (9).
Should something better be found In the present work It comes from a
careful reading of Florlnl's pages. The circumstance clarify my Indebtedness to
him.
Coming now to the Farnese Atlas and Its globe, It Is really a puzzling matter
where to begin with In consideration of the many things to be presented and
discussed and due to the manifold lines of research suggested by the SCUlpture. I
am aware - It must be said - thQt there are at leQst two ways of approaching
the study of the Atlas and Its globe. A stylistic (or hyconologlc) one of which,
unfortunately, I have found no researches, and an astronomical one; due to my
own feeling and competence I will only deal with the latter waiting anxiously
for a hyconologJc study. The answers we may expect from an archaeological
approach are related basically to the age of the actual figuration of the
constellations as they appear on the globe and may further help In dating the
birth of such a kind of solid sphere which seems, at a first glance, to go back to
not later than first century B.C. In spite of Its fame - It Is quite often cited here
and there as we may easily detect from the wide bibliography collected - the
Farnese Atlas has been studied only once since Its appearance In Rome during
excavations carried on In the middle of the ll.th century (10). The Importance
of the celestial sphere has been undervalued In the last two centuries due to the
scant attention paid to It and to the lack of any serious study. We find
descrepancles even In the number of constellations registered In the globe (see
Appendix I).
This work Is only Intended to be a starting point for further studies, trying to
collect and discuss as many references as possible on the subject and to give a
detailed description of the sphere (see Appendix 11).
It Is generally accepted that Passerl's "Atlas Farneslanus" provides the first
and best systematic account on the Atlas (11). As a matter of fact, It Is the only
work quoted almost everywhere. The statement Is wrong In both aspects (first
and best). First of all Passerl himself mokes In the preface (preface should
always be read) a frank reference to a previous study carried on by the
"Preclarlsslmo Presule" Francesco Blanchlnl, work which was kindly transmItted
to him by A.F. Gorl, editor of the series In whIch Passerl's work was published
(12). Furthermore, Passerl ' Informes us that the "celeberrlmus Casslnlus,
Chrlstlanlsslml Galllarum Regis Astronomus" (13) accompanied Blanchlnl during
the Inspection of the globe In 1 l.95, and the leQrned men of Europe were all
waiting for the publication of their valuable considerations. Passerl again tells
us "Integro volumlne Atlantem Farneslanum se InlustrQturum promise rat
Francisco Blanchlnus" (14).
The first report of the joint examination of the Atlas - very rarely recorded
and never In the last hundred years - appeared In 1 l.97, only two years after the
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Casslnl travel to Rome (15). In that publication we also find the ' f1 rst printed
Image of the sculpture (1 l.). In the short description of the Atlas Francesco
Blanchlnl recalls to the reader the help of Casslnl and also mentions the
necessity of deeper studies on It. Unfortunately Blanchlnl died In 1729 and
because his many duties at the Papal court he failed In completing Qnd
publishing the work he certainly started writing during the first decades of the
18th century. A manuscript titled "Globus Farneslanus" Is mentioned for the first
time In 1731 and In his official biography of 1735 among the unpublished works
(17). The same manuscript Is stili preserved In the Blblloteca Capltolare at
Verona where his library and the complete body of his works are kept (18).
We leave for a while Blanchlnl's manuscript which had not the opportunity
to Influence any further study for the bad use made by Passeri who was unable
either to understand the astronomical computations or to reach Blanchlnl's wide
historical knowledge. In the reconstruction of the hlstorlography of the Farnese
Atlas we have to mention now not an actual study but what Is the best and most
Interesting representation of the globe ever published. It Is a drawing made up
by Martin Folkes (1690-1754), a singular figure of learned man, who was struck
by the celebrated globe he had the opportunity to see during his journey through
Italy (19). We know he turned archaeologist after the Italian tour.
The Image appeared In 1739 In Richard Bentley's edition of the "Astro-
nomlcon" by Manlllo (20). It has already been registered In the literature: Thlele
reproduced It In 1898 (21) and It has recently been recorded as "anonymous" by
Deborah Warner (22). It Is almost strange that the latter Ignores the name of the
author If we consider that Bentley himself tells us the story In the preface (we
should always read prefaces). It Is useful to read again his words for the link
with another copy of the Farnese globe I will discuss In a short while: "At
nuperrlme VIr exlmlus Martlnus Foulkes, ut alffs omnibus, sic artlbus etlam
Mathematlcls Instructlsslmus, globl hulusceFarneslanl ectypum summa
conformatum cura secum Roma deportavlt; et noblscum pro slngularl sua
humanltate, summoque ad IIteras promovendas studiO, benlgne communlcavlt"
(23). ThUS, we learn the Image was drawn and engraved In England after the
Folkes' "ectypum". Furthermore Bentley Informs us that "Qulnetiam ne quid
forte In eo descrlbendo erraret artlfex, Ipse etlam tabulam hanc ad ect ypum
suum accuratlsslme exeglt" (24) .
The very singular drawing does not take the globe In perspective, os It has
always been done, but In a true stereographJc projection. Only the mathematical
skllness of Folkes could afford to reproduce the whole globe in a precise geo-
metric projection. It Is worthy to be noted that this projection maps circles Into
circles and Is orthomorphlc, well flttlng for astronomical purposes (25). Due to
the flrst property - certainly known In ancient world - the astrolabe was based
on stereographlc projection (26).
We cannot ascertain which kind of copy the "ectypum" was - It was likely a
plaster copy. Anywo"y, though no copy of this kind seems sur viving today In
England, an .Idea of the occuracy of the Folkes' globe may be recognized In the
Sir HansSloane's copy of the Atlante Farnese globe which Is to be connected -
according to me - to Folkes' "ectypum" (27). The date of the Sloane copy should
not be before 1739 otherwise, I suppose, Bentley had spoken of It, and not after
1754when Folkes died; 1740s being the most likely date (28).
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Via Folkes the Fornese celestial sphere reached England and a few years
later Benjamln Martin briefly - but clearly expressing his own opinion - speaks
about "a very antique globe, which was found In the ruins of ancient Rome, and
Is now In the Museum of the Farneslan Palace, reserved as the most curios
Monument of Antiquity" (29). Martin also mentions a copy "that I have by me"
which Increases the number of copies of the Farnese globe existing In England In
the middle of the 18th century. Might It be the engraving appended to the
"Astronomlcon" or simply the Sir Hans' copy? We don't know, but It Is curious
that Martin makes no mention of Bentley and of Folkes' "ectypum". In spite of
the confusion between rcdlus and diameter of the globe he made a very good
calculation of the value of the precession as It Is marked on the globe: "about 5,
which shews that this globe might probably be made 360 Years after the Colure
was In the Equinoctial Point" (30). This conclusion as well as the following
dating of the globe "some years before the Birth of Christ" and the assumption
that the equinoctial colure passed through the horn of Aries near 2200 years
before his time (I.e. about 430 B.C.) "with regard to the Time and Observations
of Hlpparchus", are all erroneous (31). At any rate, Martin provided a rare
attempt to date the globe making use of the value of the precession so clearly
expressed in the globe.
During the 18th century the Atlante Farnese was Included, as we have
already seen In Folkes' case, among the obligatory stops In the tour through
Italy. Wlnckelmann described some constellations of the Farnese globe In his
"Monumentl Antlchl" (32) and the French astronomer Lalande mentlond the
Atlas he had the opportunity to see during his stay In Rome (33).
In 1813 the Inte'rest In the globe was renewed In the occasion of the French
translation of the Almagest (34). In the preface (we must always read prefaces)
the translator spends one page commenting the F arnese A Uas. He also gives a
few references and discusses about the Roman coin of the Emperor Antonlnus
Plus In which Atlas bearing the sky Is shown. Halma, the translator, used the
coin as a frontispiece complaining that previous Illustrators of the coin did not
pay the due attention to the globe "sostenu par un AUas parfaltement semblable
au globe de marble du Palals Farnese" (35). More representations of the Farnese
atlas were promised to appear In the second volume but, unfortunately, Halma
failed and nothing of the Atlas and Its globe appeared In the next and last
volume (36).
In the meanwhile the sculpture had reached Naples together with the whole
Farnese collection (37) notwithstanding the strong protest of Roman learned
men and against the will ofthecardlnal Alessandro Farnese (1520-1589). The
sculpture was reproduced In white porcelain In the world wide famous "Fabbrlca
dl Capodlmonte" (38). Since 1817 It appeared In the guides of the Royal Borbo-
nlc Museum treated In a rather superficial description basically drawn from
Passerl (39). The Image of the Farnese Atlas was also used as a frontispiece In a
Neapolitan geographical aUas (40).
In 1825 Inghlraml Inserted In the volume of tables appended to his "Monu-
mentl Etruschl" four views of the globe taken from Passe rI's copperplates with
the addition of a few mistakes due to oversights and pure astronomical
Ignorance (41).
Next spoke of the Atlas In 1828 Gerhard and Panofska (42), In 1894 Denza
-101 -
(43), In 1898 ' Thlele with one of the best historical accounts on the Farnese
Atlas (44), and cited It In 1899 Hlnkley Alien (45) and In 1903 Boil (46).
In our century no word has been added to that already said In the past. More
confusion comes from unproved and sometimes Imaginary dating. Stevenson
puts It 300 years before Christ (47), Lloyd Brown states categorically "doubtless
of the IV century B.C." (48), De Smet dates It 200 years B.C. (49), according to
Fauser It Is a "romlsche Kople des ersten Jahrhunderts vor Chrlstus" (50), while
Warner - combining Florlnl's source with Fauser's opinion - says that "The At-
lante Farneslano Is thought to be a Roman copy made In the second century A.D.
of a Greek original from the third century B.C." (51). Aujac prefers to say
"rlproduzlone romana dl un modello ellenlstlco" (52) which Is a gracious way to
move the problem, with that sentence she covers a range of about 400 years,
and the same words are used In 1985 by Dllke (53). I will not discuss further of
many more - sometimes worthy - contribution and only record some of them
(54).
Let's come back now to the "preclarlsslmo" Blanchlnl. The manuscript study
on the Farnese aUas was actually printed In 1752 only two years later than the
bad account by Passerl appeared (55). As far as I know nobody records the
publication which Is here . presented for the first time (56). The uneasily
readable manuscript (see my note 18) lacks almost completely Its Importance.
The six copperplates appended to the work are those executed under the direct
control of Blanchlnl himself and first published In Passerl's book with the Inter-
cession of Gorl. Gluseppe Blanchlnl, nephew of Francesco and editor of the
posthumous publication, only added the Image of the Antonlnus' coin In the first
plate and renumbered the Images from one to seven.
For my study the most Interesting chapters are the first two, being the
others mainly devoted to historical and mythical descriptions of the asterlsms. It
Is the case to remind that the author's aim was to demonstrate that the figura-
tion of the sky roots down Into the mythical-historical conquest of the Golden
Fleece.
In the first chapter Blanchlnl makes reference to the said Antonlnus' coin
and suggests that "eadem statua, nl fallor" (57) Is represented In the coin; the
resemblance Is one more evidence of the construction of the globe under the
reign of Antonlnus (138-161). Furthermore he observes the asterlsms follow the
indications given by Eudoxus, Aratus, Clcero, Germanlcus and other translators
and are positioned occordlng to the celestial observations of Hlpparchus and
Ptolemy (58).
The second chapter deals with star position which he compares with ptole-
my's coordinates successively checked with Flamsteed's catalogue of stars of
1690. Blanch 1nl finds that the ever visible circle Is positioned at fifty degrees
which leads to the horizon of Macedonia, the place where Aratus worked - as
Blanchlnl points out Then, In order to date the globes he computes the
value of the precession of the equinoxes. The phenomenon was discovered by
Hlpparchus around the middle of the 2nd century B.C. and was never referr.ed to
In any astronomical treatise before Ptolemy as late as 150 A.D. (60). The first
conclusion we may draw from this Is that It Is absolutely Impossible - unless we
will discover In the future other sources preceedlng Hlpporchus which speaks
clearly of the precession - that the prototype - should there exist one - be
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before the Almagest.
Blanch 1nl goes on reckoning the actual position of Aries noting that the
Vernal colure passing through It Is actually a circle of right ascension. Thus the
distance of this cercle from the vernal paint Is about 3. The figure Is very near
to the value of right ascension of Aries' horn deduced from the coordinates
given In the Almagest ('1 ).It Is the case to remind that Ptolemy used ecllptlcal
coordinates latitude and longitude (62), whllest modern astronomers give
equatorial coordinates right ascension and declination.
To be sure, Blanchlnl mokes more controls In the star In the neck of Pollux
(called. B by Bayed, the 'stars In the rear horn of Capricorn, the star In the beach
of Swan and the brightest star' between the shoulders of Eagle, and finds that all
agree with the Almagest. The same precession of about 3 Is, of course,
registered In the Autumnal p,olnt, showing that the exact registration of the
precession Is much more than a coincidence.
Blanchlnl's conclusions are that IIsculptum fulsse hoc marmor, & Antonlno Plo
oblatum ad ornamentum Blbllothecae, una cum flxorum Cotalogo per ptole-
maeum exacto ad ejus ImperII Epocham" (63). These are Blanch 1nl's words and
thoughts.
Nowadays we are not so confident In figures as Blanchlnl was, because the
more accuracy used In taking measures and the deeper acquaintance we have
with the Almagest and Its problems, even If, It must be sold, I undervalued diffi-
culties In my first look at the Atlas In 1980 (64). Blanchlnl and Casslnl Ignored -
or pretended to Ignore -that the star catalogue of Ptolemy was affected by a
mean error of one degree In longitude; the error leads to define the sky of about
75 years earlier than Ptolemy That means that the comparison with
-Flamsteed catalogue was not accurately done. Furthermore at the time of
Blanchlnl people did not work with statistics and mean standard deviation and
the author took for granted that circles were exactly sculptured as true circle
and that two tropics were pasltloned at 2330' as It was In his own time. The
last arbltrarlous assumption Is wrong, being the actual position of tropics on the
sphere slightly higher, even than the Ptolemy's value (I.e. 2351'). I found that
(see my Appendix 11) the two tropics, as well as all the circles on the globe, are
not perfect circle and have not a constant distance from the equator. Tropics
are positioned at about 25, which Is one degree more than the value generally
accepted In the ancient world (66). Anyway, we must note that one degree on
the Farnese globe means five mllllmeters only In length, the thickness of the
sculptured circles varying from three to six mllllmetersl
As a consequence all the measures given by Blanchlnl are defective and, In
particular, the value of the precession Is a bit higher and does not fit exactly
with Ptolemy's coordinates (67). The two polar circles - according to the
ancients the ever visible and the never visible circles - are actually positioned
at 5643' Nand 5526' S. That means that the horizon for which the globe Is
constructed has a latitude of about 3330'. Should that position be true (I mean
In the will of the author and not a consequence of chance) the palar circles are
referred to Middle Phoenlcla (68), even If we have to warn that differences In
latitude among Phoenlcla, Alessandrla, Rhodes or Macedonia lead to a slight
displacement of circles on the sphere, displacement which Is as higher as the
mean error I have found out In measuring the circles (see Appendix 11).
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In spite of the little discrepancies I have found In the study carried on by
Blanchlnl (and Cassln!) my figures and my observations don't contradict the
Almagest and don't reject Blanchlnl's opinion. On the contrary, as a conclusion, I
list a few elements which confirm the presence of the Almagest In the globe,
and Its construction around 150 A.D.:
1.. the presence of Balance among the constellations was unknown to Aratus
and Hlpparchus, It only appeared In Western culture at the beginning of our
Era (6911
2.. the precession of equinoxes Is very clearly expressed In the globe and Is
fully described only by Ptolemy after the now lost work by Hlpparchus on
the "Displacement of solstlclal points";
3 .. In the Almagest Ptolemy made a few comparison among declinations of
some stars and found that the star In the left hand of Virgo (Spica) was
north to the equator at the time of Hlpparchus and was south to It In his
own time. The left hand of Virgo Is doubtless south to the equator In the
Farnese globe (70);
4 - the construction of the whole globe as well as the relative position of
constellations are too exactly done and they Imply a scientific support
which only the Almagest provided In the Ancient World. The Phenomenon
by Aratus give a good description of the outline of each constellation and
of their relative position but are not sufficient at all for reproducing the
sky In a rather mathematlcal way;
5 - the horizon of Middle Phoenlcla - should It not be a chance .. Is of basic
Importance In the Almagest for ptolemy computed planetary phases
expressely for that latitude (71 ). Furthermore the position of Canopus (the
star In the southern steering-oar of Argo) well agrees with this never
visible circle.
The Fornese globe Is to be considered, according to me, an original piece of
science and ,art, not a mere copy from an ancient - but how old, I wonder ..
original. The globe represents the state of knowledge at the time of the
Almagest even If It may show - and why not - In some details a spurious and
different tradition. In fact It embodies the astronomical knowledge of antiquity
as the Almagest does.
Toomer says that "the star description pose numerous Individual problems,
only a few of which are touched In the footnotes. Ideally one should provide a
reconstruction of the outline of each constellation as It appears In Ptolemy's
star globe This would be an Interesting and valuable enterprise" (72). I think
the Farnese globe furnishes many answers to the question.
APPENDIX I - On the constellations
The constellations represented on the globe are certainly 44 and might be 45
If we recognise the Sagitta partially hidden under the wing of Clgnus. Speaking
of the Sagitta Aratus says that "nearby fIys ' the blrd" (verse 313). The Ursa
Major was certainly sculptured as Its head Is still visible between the summer
colure and the hole which demaged the northern constellations. The third one
not recorded so far Is Canis Minor which Is hidden .. but actuallly sculptured -
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under the right hand of Atlas.
Compared with the Almagest only Trlangulus and Equuleus are really wan-
ted. The absence of the first Is really Inexplicable being recorded since Aratus,
while the little horse Is a secondary constellation near Pegasus and often
confuses with It. The lack of Ursa Minor Is due to the said hole In the upper part
of the globe and Plsels Austrlnus Is covered by the shoulders of the giant.
There Is one asterlsm not recorded In the Almagest which might be a pure
Roman InventiOn! something like a small throne between Cancer and Ursa Major.
Blanchlnl and Passerl called It "Cathedra Casslopea" and the latter says that It Is
formed by four stars In the front legs of Ursa, where nowadays there Is placed
the Lynx. Other people Identify It with the "Throne of Cesar", a comet visible In
Italy at the time of Augustusbut we find no mention In Vltruvlus (Ten books on
Architecture, IX, 3, 4 and 5).
Northern constellations:
1 Ursa Major
2 Cathedra Casslopea
3 Draco
4 Cepheus
5 Bootes
6 Corona Borealls
7 Hercules (Man kneeling)
8 Lyra
9 Clgnus
10 Casslopea
Zodiac:
20 Aries
21 Taurus
22 GeminI
23 Cancer
24 Leo
25 Virgo
Southern Constellations:
32 Cetus
33 Orlon
34 Erldanus
35 Lepus
36 CanIs Major
37 Canis Minor
38 Argo
11 Perseus
12 Aurlga
130phlucus
14 Serpens
15 Sagitta
16 Aqulla
17 Delphlnus
18 Pegasus
19 Andromeda
26 LIbra
27 Scorplus
28 SagIttarius
2'J Capricorn us
30 Aquarius
31 Pisces
39 Hydra
40 Crater
41 Corvus
42 Centaurus
43 Lupus
44 Ara
45 Corona Australls
APPENDIX 11 - On the size and measures of the globe.
Due to the relief of the constellation and circles all the measures are to be
taken "with a grain of salt"; errors of a few mllllmeters are to be considered. All
the measures here reported must be read "about", even If the percentage of
error In the readings Is very low.
Circumference = 2030 mm
Radius = 323 mm
-105 -
One degree (of great circle) = 5,6 mm
Tropics and polar circles have not a constant dIstance from the equatQr. For
Instance, the circle of ever visible stars varies from 314 mm to 329 mm, and the
tropic of CaprIcorn varies from 138 mm to 146 mm. In order to find the theorlc
mean circle which annuls the discrepancIes of the sculpture I have calculated a
weighted mean assigning to the value along the colures mQre reliabIlity.
Tropic of Cancer = 2530' N
Tropic of Capricorn = 2506' S
Obliquity of the ecliptic = 25 18' (2351' In the Almagest)
Ever visible circle = 56 43' N (horizon for qJ = 3317')
Never vIsible circle = 552(,' S (horizon for qJ:: 34 34')
Right ascension of the Aries' horn = 509' (307' from the Almagest)
The same value on the Autumnal point = 5 19'
Width of the Zodiac =1 329'
SUMMARY
The object of my research Is the celestial sphere supported on the shoulders
of the so called Atlante Farnese. We are dealing with a well known piece quite
often cited here and there but, In spite of Its fame, It has only been studied once
since Its modern appearance In Rome In the middle of the 16th century. The
Importance of the celestial sphere has been undervalued In the last two
centuries due to the scant attention paid to It and to the lack of any serious
study.
The present contribution Is divided Into three parts. The first Is devoted to a
brief commemoration of the forgotten father of the history of globes and their
makers, Matteo Florlnl. The second one provides a hlstorlographlcal account on
the Farnese Atlas starting from the 1695 examination by J.D. Casslnl and F.
Blanchlnl. Then I present my latest observations, true measures of the rings, the
position of the constellations ond a passible attribution.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I wish to express my gratitude to the Soprlntendenza Archeologlca at Naples
for the permIssion to study the Atlas. I also thank Renata Cantllena, Director of
the Archaeological Museum of Naples, for more than enthusiastic support to my
study; Antonlo Russo, consegnee at the same Museum, and Blaglo Glacola,
attached to the library of the Soprlntendenza who made any effQrt to make
easy my work.
Invaluable help I received In the Blblloteca Nazlonale of Naples which Is
extraordinarily rich In any field of study. Marla Grazla Pasquallttl and Anna-
marla RQmano, Director and Vice-director respectively, allowed me to handle
rare material. Patrlzla Nocera, as falrlly as usual, was of great support ' ln biblio-
graphical researches. I owe to the kindness of Anna BIIII, of the Brancacclana
-106 -
section of the Library) Information on the periodicals of the Academle des
Sciences.
Translations from latln are due to the patience of my wife Costanza Glala-
nella and to the acumen of Francesco Brescla, any error In the meaning remains
mine.
Last I want to point out that all the bibliographical material collected and
discussed In the footnotes has been found In Neapolitan libraries which consti-
tute a tremendous heritage of our National history.
NOTES
( 1) Florlnl's biography appeared In Coslmo BERTACCHI, Geografl ed
esploratorl Itallanl contemporanel (Mllano 1929), 93-104. Unfortunately
there Is no mention of his works on old globes, basic attention having been
paid to his fundamental studies on map projections.
( 2) Matteo FIORINI, Le projezlonl delle carte geograflche (Bologna 1881 ), text
+ atlas with 11 tables.
( 3) Matteo FIORINI) Le sfere cosmograflche e speclalmente le sfere terrestrl.
In: BoIlettlno della Societe Geograflca Itallana (1893) 862-888 and (1894)
121-131,271-281,331-349,415-435.
( 4) Slegmund GONTHER) Erd- und Hlmmelsgloben, Ihre Geschlchte und Kon-
struktlon. Nach dem Itallenlschen Matteo Florlnl frel bearbeltet (Leipzig
1895).
( 5) Matteo FIORINI, Sfere terrestrl e celestl dl autore Itallono oppure fatte 0
conservate In Italla (Roma 1899). ..
( 6) Recently Peter VAN DER KROGT, Old Globes In the Netherlands. A cata-
'Iogue of terrestrial and celestial globes made prior to 1850 and preserved
In Dutch collections (Utrecht 1984) unaware of Florlnl's work - In fact he
does not mention It either In the literature or In the preface where he
speaks of the "Inventory per country" - only refers to Stevenson's book as
the first Inventory of pre 1800 globes. On the contrary, see the quotations
from Stevenson referred to In my note 8.
( 7) Edward Luther STEVENSON, Terrestrial and Celestial Globes. Their history
and construction Including a consideration of their value as aids In the
study of geography and astronomy, 2 vols. (New Haven 1921, reprint New
York and London 1971).
( 8) STEVENSON, Terrestrial and Celestial Globes 1: xx (note 7).
( 9) FIORINI, Sfereterrestrl e celestl 9-23 (note 5). STEVENSON, Terrestrial
and Celestial Globes 1 : 15 (note 7).
(10) The modern history of the Atlas and Its finding are rather complicated. We
don't know exactly when and where It was discovered we only certainly
know that Cardinal Alessandro F arnese bought It from the antiquarian
Paolo del Bufalo on February 27, 1st.2 as It Is recorded In a document
referred to In Documentl Inedltl per servlre alia storla del Musel d'ltalla, 4
vols. (Roma 1878-1880), 1 : for that document see also Rodolfo
LANCIANI, Storla degll scavl dl Roma e notlzle Intorno le collezlonl romane
dl antlchlte, 4 vols. (Roma 1902-1913), 2 : 163. Since Its famous owner It
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
-107 -
has been called "Atlante Farnese". I also think the first description of the
FarneseAtlas may be recognised In Stefano Wlnandus PIGHIUS, Hercules
Pradlclus, seu principIIs luventutls vlta et peregrlnatlo (Antwerpen 1587),
360-361; Plghlus (1520-1604) saw the Atlas In 15.75 during his tour
through Italy accompanying the son of the Duke de Cleves. In the de-
scription he made of .the Atlas Is said that It was "In vlnea Stephanl Buballj
repertam" (discovered In ' the property of Stefano del Bufalo) and the
Farnese Atlas - as we have seen - was sold by Paolo del Bufalo. Is It only a
coincidence of family names? Anyway, It Is certainly Incorrect the opinion
of Raymond VINCENT, Les Antiques. In: Le Palals Farnese, 3 vols. (Rome
1981), 2 : 335-336 who recognise In the bust of Atlas described by
Aldrovandl (see my note 22) the actual Farnese Atlas and gives as a lost
piece the sculpture sold to the F arnese In 1562. It Is just the contrary. The
confusion among the two atlases (the bust and the Farnese one) dates
1879 (see DocumenU Inedltl, 2: v-vI).
Glovannl Battlsta PASSERI, Atlas Farneslanus marmoreus Inslgne vetustatls
monumentum commentarlo (Flrenze 1750),80 p.ages + 6 plates.
PASSERI, Atlas Farneslanus 6 (note 11). The volume Is the third of Thesau-
rus Gemmarum Antlquarum Astrlferarum, edited by Anton Francesco GORI.
"The celebrated Casslnl astronomer of the Christian king of France",
PASSERI, Atlos F arneslanus 78 (note 11). News on the Casslnl's voyage
through Italy are recorded In Bernard de FONTENELLE, Eloges des Acade-
mlclens morts de puis 1718 jusq'en 1739. In: Oeuvres de Monsieur de F onte-
nelle (Paris 1742), 5: 322-365 esp. 358 ("En 1695 M. Casslnl f1t un voyage
en Italle")i and In Jacques CASSINI, Observations astronomlques faltes dans
les voyages de France et d'ltalle en 1694, 1695 and 1696. In: Hlstolre de
I'Academle Royale des Sciences 7 (1729) esp. 497 where the young Casslnl
wrlt.es "nous e Rome le 29 Mars".
"Blanchlnl pramlsed to publish a complete book on the globe", PASSERI,
Atlas Farneslanus 78 (note 11). .
Francesco BIANCHINI, La Istorla Unlversale provata con monumentl, e
flgurato con slmboll degll antlchl (Roma 1(97), chapter 28 titled "Espe-
dlzlonl mllltarl In Colchlde, e In Troja con vantaggl, non tanto degll statl dl
Grecla, quanto degll studj piu gravl". The work was reprinted by Antonlo
Gluseppe BARBAZZA (Roma 1747) who re-engraved the lost plates of the
first edition whose author was the famous engraver Pier Sant! Bartoll
( 1635-1700).
BIANCHINI, La Istorla Unlversale (second edition) 367 (note 15). Details of
the constellations ore reproduced throughout the book: Orlon 253, Bootes
284, Aquarius 296, Argo 309, Aries, Taurus and Perseus 353.
It Is curious -to note that there Is no trace of the Fornese Atlas In the most
Important collection of antiquities published In Rome In the last quarter of
the 16th century: Glovan Battlsta de' CAVALlERI, Antlquarum statuarum
urbls Romae, 2 vols. (Roma 1585-1594) with 200 Images most of them
token from the Farnese collection.
Sclplone MAFFEI, La Verona lIIustrata (Verona 1731), reprinted In BIAN-
CHINI, La Istorla Unlversale (1747, my note 15), In which Maffel speaks
about a manuscript "sopra 11 globo dl marmo che 51 conserva In Palazzo
- 108-
Farnese: Globus Farneslanus, & in eo rudlmenta Astronomlae, chronologlae,
& Hlstorla aetatls Herolcae, a Graecls ad nos transmlssa"; and Alessandro
MAZZOLENI, Vlta dl Monsignor Francesco Blanchlnl Veronese (Verona
1735),125.
(18) The existence of the manuscript In the Blblloteca Capltolare Is, given by
FIORINI, Sfere terrestrl e celestl 11 (note 5), who presented and discussed
Its contents. I thank the Direction af the Blblloteca Capltolare at Verona
for the kindness In supplying me a complete microfilm of the manuscript
(Cod. Ms. CCCLXXV).
(19) Martin Folkes was born October 29, 1690. At the. age of twentythree he
was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society. In 1723, the president, Sir
Isaac Newton, appointed him one of his vice-presidents and was similarly
honoured by Newton's successor Sir Hans Sloane.ln 1741 Sir Hans resigned
the presidency, and Folkes was unanimously elected In his place. In 1750 he
was president of the Society of Antiquaries and died on 28th June 1754.
During his tour In Italy In the years 1733-35 he examined many of the best
furnished cabinets of the Country. In that occasion he paid a visit to the
Farnese Palace In Rome with Its extraordinary collection of antiquities.
(20) M. Manllll Astronomlcon ex recensione et cum notls Rlchardl Bentlell
(London 1739).
(21) Georg THIELE, Antlke Hlmmelsbllder. Mlt Forschungen zu Hlpparchos,
Aratos und selnen F" ortsetzern und Beltragen zur Kunstgeschlchte des
Sternhlmmels (Berlin 1898), 27, fig. 5 with the caption "Foulkes' nach
GlpsabguB angefertlgte Zelchnung". Pages 19-42 are devoted to the de-
scription of the Atlante Farnese of which he also reproduces nine Images.
See also Frltz SAXL, La fede negll astrl (Torlno 1985), fig. 1 38.
(22). Deborah J. WARNER, The Sky Explored. Celestial Cartography 1500-1800
(Amsterdam 1979), 278-279. The author also . finds stylistic similarities
between Blaeu's globe of 1616-22 and the Farnese globe, similarities
which I cannot recognise. She deeper discusses about It In the description
of the 1616 Blaeu globe (30-31). The Information given In the note are not
correct: the Atlas was bought In 1562 and not from Bernardlno de' Fab"
(see my note 10). Furthermore, the description by UlIsse ALDROVANDI(
Delle Statue Antlchl (Roma 1550) appended to Luclo MAURO, Antlchlta
della cltta dl Roma (Roma 1556), she uses as a reference, Is referred to a
"busto grande dl atlante senza braccla, ne vlso" (great bust of atlas,
armless and wanting the face) which can hardly be alike the Farnese Atlas;
see THIELE, Antlke Hlmmelsbllder 20 and fig. 1 taken from the Codex
Plghlanus (note 21).
(23) "The stlmated Sir Martin F olkes, very learned In every art as well as In
mathematics, brought from Rome a very carefully made relief copy
(ectypum) of the globe and due to his peculiar humanity he kindly commu-
nicated to us for promoting historical studies", BENTLEY, M. Manllll Astro-
nomlcon xv-xvi (note 20).
(24) "In order that the craftsman did not fall In describing It he (Folkes) himself
drew the table very exactly from his model", BENTLEY, M. Manllll Astron-
nomlcon xvi (note 20).
(25) "Since any circle on the sphere remains a circle on the projection It Is
(26)
(27)
(28)
(30)
(31)
(32)
(33)
(34)
- 109-
particularly useful In graphical solutions In field astronomy", quoted from
J.A. STEERS, An Intraductlon to the Study of Map Prajectlons. 15th ed.
(Landon 1970) 52.
On the knowledge In ancient world of stereographlc projection and Its use
see OUo NEUGEBAUER, A History of Ancient Mathematical Astronomy, 3
vals. (Berlln/Heldelberg/New York 1975),2: 868-879.
We know that Folkes was In Sir Hans Sloane's consideration and friend of
him and successor In the presidency of th Royal SOCiety (see my note 19).
The Sloane copy of the Farnese globe Is a drawing on a sphere now kept In
the British Library (Maps G.30). Unfortunately, I was not able to get any
Information on that sphere (diameter, structure, age, nature of the
drawing, bibliography, etc.), I only owe to the kind trouble of Dr.Helen
Wallls three slides of smaller parts of the globe. In one of this we may read
"Ex Prototyp. Farneslano cujus diameter Ped.".
A date Is Indicated In A.D. BA YNES-COPE, The Study and Conservation of
Globes. In: Der Globusfreund 33-34 (1985) 1-80 esp. 34 and fig. 5. The
author reports In the figure the date "ca 1750" while In the text he argues
that the Atlante Farnese facsimile was "specially made In Italy Co 1740 for
Sir Hans Sloane", but unfortunately he does not explain his sources. I only
wonder why Sir Hans should have asked a copy from Rome having at his
disposal the carefully made lIectypum" by his friend Martin Folkes. The
matter needs further studies which may only be carried on In the British
Library and the British Museum.
Benjamln MARTIN, The description of both Globes, the Armlllary Sphere
and Orrery. 2nd ed. (London no date), esp. 112-113. I owe this reference to
the kindness of Mr. Rudolf Schmldt.
Martin says that the globe "Is 12 Inches In Diameter" which Is about 31
centlmenters while the actual radius of the globe Is about 32 centlmenters
and the true value of the precession on the sphere Is about 5 08' (see
Appendix 11). .
Martin uses for his calculations the value of 71 years per degree of preces-
sion but it Is not historically correct to use modern acquisitions and tools to
understand the past. He also falls In positioning the activity of Hlpparchus
around the middle of the 4th century B.C., while It Is - and certainly was in
Martin's time - well known Hlpparchus was active in the 2nd century B.C.;
these make wrong all Martin's conclusions.
Johann Joachlm WINCKELMANN, Monumentl Antlchl Ineditl splegatl ed
Iltustratl (Roma 1767), 1 : 12, 273. ,
Jerome de LALANDE, Voyage d'un en Italle fait dans les annees
1765 & 1766,8 vols. (Paris 1769), 4 : 162-163. Speaking of the atlas he says
"ce globe est tres remarquable par son antlqulte, c'est le seul monument
astronomlque ou Pon alt trouve les constellations a la manlere des Anciens;
M. Blanchlnl a fait graver ce globe avec un commentalre interessant". The
astronomer Lalande was one of the few who knew the Blanchlnl's study
and the Images of the Farnese Atlas.
Nlcolos HALMA, Composition Mathematlque de Claude Ptolemee, tradulte
pour la premiere fols du grec en sur les manuscrlts orlglneaux de
la Blbliotheque Imperlale de Paris (Paris 1813), 1 : esp. LV.
- 110-
(35) A description of the Important coin of Antonlnus Plus appeared In Paolo
Alessandro MAFFEI, Gemme antic hi figurate, 3 vols. (Roma 1707-09), 3:
191-206, esp. 203; Maffel, who dates the coin 158 A.D., reproduces In a
beautiful engravIng the two faces of the cain which was kept In the
personal museum of Marcantonlo Sabbatlnl. Then Francesco Blanchlnl
related for the first time the coin to the Farnese Atlas (see my notes
55-57). One of. the copies now In the Cabinet des Medallles at the Blbllo-
theque Natlondle of Paris Is described In Henry COHEN, Description hlsto-
rlque des monnols frappees sous l'Emplre Romaln (reprint Leipzig 1930),2:
3l.l.-367; I owe this reference to the kindness of Renata Cantllena.
Recently spoke of the coin and reproduced It Glorglo T ABARRONI, La
poslzlone degll equlnozl sulla sfera dell' Atlante Farnese. In: Co.elum 24
(1956) 169-174, esp. 173 and fig. 4.
(36) The second volume of the French translation of the Almagest (see my note
34) was published In 1816 and bears the portrait of the new kind to which
the book Is dedicated.
(37) On the transport of the Farnese collection to Naplessee A. Gonzales PA-
LACIOS, 11 trasporto delle statue farneslane do Roma a Napoll. In: Antologla
dl Belle Artl 6 (1978). 168-174. The Atlas reached Naples only In 1800
having been ten years In the workshop of Carlo AlbacJnl In Rome who was
encharged of the restoration of the sculptures before the shipment to
Naples, see Alfonso de FRANCISCIS, Restaurl dl Carlo AlbacJnl a statue del
Museo Nazlondle dl Napoll. In: Samnlum 19 (1946) 96 and following.
(38) A photograph of a copy now In a private collection at Vienna has been
graciously sent me from Mr. Rudolf Scnmldt already thanked In my note
7:'1. No copy of that porcelain Is so far recorded In Naples.
(39) :rhe first guide Is by GloVambattJsta FINA TI, Jl regal Museo Bornlco (Napoll
1817), 2 1264-267, of which several edlUons appeared In the 19th
(2nd ed. In .1819), Francesco ALVINO, Descrlptlon .des monuments les plus
Interessants du Musee Royal Bourbon (Napoll 1841), 128. An enlarged
description 'by the same FINA TI appeared .In: Real Museo Borbonlco (Napoll
1829) 5 I tab. 52 with four poges of comment. The same copperplate was
reproduced by Francesco GARGIULO, Recuell des Monumens les plus
Interessans du Musee National de Naples (Napoll no date). The list may
well continue as.the Atlas Is obviously mentioned In any Italian and foreign
guides up to our days.
(40) The title, graphically Inserted within a large sphere on the shoulders of
Atlas, Is "Atlante dl Geografla Moderna In 30 carte dell'Abbate Lulgl
Galantl dellneato da Glosue Russo Ingegnere Geografo", Napoll 1834-36.
The frontispiece Is reproduced In Vladlmlro VALERIO, Atlantl Napoletanl
del Dlclannoveslmo secolo, 1806-1860 (NapoIl1980), flg.5.
(41) Francesco INGHIRAMI, Monumentl Etruschl e dl altre antlche Nazlonl
(Flesole 1825), 6 : 9-11, and Monumentl Etruschl che servono dl corredo a
tutta l'Opera (Flesole 182&), figs. T, U, V, X. The four plates are drawn
from Passe rI's Images but the author cancels Inadvertltely the precession
and slmplyfles the figures.
(42) E. GERHARD, Th. PANOFSKA, Neopels antlke Blldwerke (Stuttgart/Tubln-
gen 1828),98.
- 111 -
(43) Francesco DENZA, Globl celestl della Specola Vatlcana. In: Publlcazlonl
della Specola Vatlcana 4 (1894) xvII-xxIII, esp. xxi-xxIII where the author
reports a description sent to him by Modestlno DEL GAIZO. The Inclusion of
the Farnese Atlas description Is due to the presence In the Specola
Vmlcana of two plaster copies of the celestial sphere.
(44) THIELE, Antlke Hlmmelsbllder 19-42 (note 21).
(45) Richard H1NCKLEY ALLEN, Star names their Lore and Meaning (New York
1963, unabridged republication of the work first published In 1999 under
the title "Stars-names and their Meaning"), 42. According the author the
globe Is "supposed to be a copy of the sphere of Eudoxus, and perhaps
antedating Ptolemy".
(46) Franz BOLL, Sphaera. Neue grlechische Texte und Untersuchungen zur
Geschlchte der Sternbllder (Leipzig 1903), 118, 130, 146, 242.
(47) STEVENSON, Terrestrial and Celestial Globes 1: 15 (note 7).
(48) Lloyd A. BROWN, The Story of Maps (New York 1979, first edition 1949),
34; he also states that the globe is two meters "In diameter" (read "cir-
cumference") and, a few lines below "It may have been built by or for
Eudoxus".
(49) Antolne DE SMET, Exposition de Globes dans le cadre du IIle Symposium
International de la Federation Mondlale Coronelll des Amls du Globe et de
la IIle Conference Internatlonale d'Hlstolre de la Cartographie (Bruxelles
1969), 1. De Smet also says that "11 pourret s'aglr de la cople d'un original
grec plus ancien".
(SO) Alols FAUSER, Kulturgeschlchte des Globus (Munchen 1973), 36-39 with
one figure.
(51) WARNER, The Sky Explored 278 (note 22).
(52) Germalne AUJAC, La geografla nel mondo antlco (Napoll 1984, enlarged
and updated edition of "La geographle dans le monde antique", Paris 1975),
39.
(53) Oscar A. W. DILKE, Greek and Roman Maps (Ithaca, N. Y. 1985), 22, 146;
though In the footnootes he makes the only reference of Stevenson In
figure 7 (showing the Atlas) he adds the dates "1st-2nd century AD" and
doesn't explain elsewhere In the text the source which contradicts
Stevenson; Stevenson dated It 300 years before Christ (see my note 47).
(54) Italian publications are marked by Fiorlnl's work: Angelo TACCONE, Atlan-
tee In: Enclclopedla ltallana5 (1930) 208; Roberto ALMAGIA, Globo. In:
EncJclopedla Itallana 17 (1933) 425; Glorgio T ABARRONI, Globl celesti
sulle monete romane. In: Coelum 24 (1956) 7-17, esp. 9-11 and fig. 1;
Glovannl Battlsta LACCHINI, Atlante Celeste. 4th ed. (Faenza 1969), 8;
among the Italian I dare recall Hans G. GUN DEL, Zodiaco. In: Enciclopedia
dell'arte antlca classlca e orlentale 7 (1966) 1274-1286, esp. 1278, the
head word provides a very detailed study with a large bibliography at the
end.
Out of Italy we may cite Edward HEIS, Atlas Coelestls Novus (Koln 1872),
vIII; Hels traced the Image of the constellations following the Atlante
Farnese he had the occasion to see In 1859 in the Archeological Museum at
Naples.
(55) Froncesco BlANCH 1Nl, Globus Farnesianus et In eo Rudlmenta Astronomlae,
(56)
(57)
(58)
(59)
(60)
(61)
- 112 -
Chronologlae, & Hlstorla Aetatls Herolcae, a Graecls ad nos transmlssa. In:
Gluseppe BIANCHINI (ed.), Demonstratlo Hlstorlae Eccleslastlcae Quadrl-
partltala comprobatae monumentls pertlnentlbus ad fidem temporum et
gestorum (Roma 1752) 2 : 997-1184 with seven figures In six plates. The
chapter clevoted to the "Globus Forneslanus" opens with a short preface by
Gluseppe Blanchlnl who calls to mind that flftyfour years elapsed since his
uncle promised In his Istorla Unlversale to publish a study on the globe (see
my note 15).
FIORINI, Sfere terrestrl e celestl 12 (note 5) says that "I posterl con mol to
accorglmento non si azzardarono a pubbllcarla per non recare oltragglo
alia memoria d.el Blanchlnl" (posteriors dare not publish It for not offending
the memory of Blanchlni), thus the work was not published because the
Incompleteness of the manuscript. The same opinion expresses T ABARRO-
NI, Globl celestl 10.
"Just the same sculpture, If I am not wrong", BIANCHINI, Globus
Farneslanus 1008 (note 55); here Blanchlnl dates the coin 157-158
corresponding to the twentieth "Trlbunlcla Potestatls" of Antonlnus Plus.
F or Its dating see also my note 35.
There Is a perfect correspondance between Aratus' poem ond relative
positions of constellations. The globe amends some oversights of Aratus,
among them the confusion between right and left foot of the Man kneeling
which Is under the head of Draco: see Aratus verses 69-70. The mistake
was first remarked by Hlpparchus In his Commentary on Aratusj for the
argument and other related topics see ARA TO DI SOLI, F enomenl e
pronostlcl (Flrenze 1948), translated and annotated by Gluseppe ZANNONI,
vII-xxvi, 48-71, esp. 51-52. Also Germanlcus corrected and Improved
'Aratus
l
poem In his Latin translation and called Libra the Chaelae of
Scorpio.
BIANCHINI, Globus Farneslanus 1020 (note 55).
On the precession see the last authoritative words of Otto NEUGEBAUER,
A History of Ancient Mathematical Astronomy, 3 vols. (Berlln/Heldelberg/
New York 1975), 1 : 54, 292-298 where he also Introduces the spurious
theory of "trepidation", and 2 : 593-l.00 where a discussion on various
norms for the Vernal paint are dlscussedJ2: 631-634 are again devoted to
the trepidation of the Equinoxes.
J.L.E. DREYER, A history of the Planetary System from Tholes to Kepler
(Cambridge 1906) was surprised by the fact that a so great discovery did
not become soon universally known; see the last Italian edition, Storla
dell'astronomla do Talete a Keplero. 2nd. ed. (Mllano 1977), 185-186.
PTOLEMY speaks about the precession In Almagest VII, 2 and 3. Of no help
In this respect Is Robert R. NEWTON, The Crime of Claudius Ptolemy
(Johns Hopklns UniverSity Press 1977). The author trys to bring Into disre-
pute the whole work by Ptolemy, though we may find misleading the way
of using modern awareness, data and tools to find (and stress) scientific
errors or - we would better say - what we think be error In the past.
BlANCH 1Nl, Globus Farneslanus 1030-1031 (note 55). The coordinates
given by Ptolemy to "the more advanced of the 2 stars on the horn" of
Aries are 6 40'ln longitude and 7 20'ln latitude; these lead according to
(62)
(63)
(64)
(65)
(66)
(67)
-113 -
Blanchlnl to 3 15' of right ascension and to 3 07' 11" only according to
Florlnl. The slight difference comes from the different Inclination of the
ecliptic adopted by the two authors: 23 30' by Blanchlnl and 23 51' by
Florlnl. The latter, more correctly, used the value given In the Almagest I,
12.
The use of ecllptlcal system Is explained by PTOLEMY In Almagest VII, 4
and Is justified by the fact that latitudes don't vary and only longltudes
Increase proportionally to the time elapsed between two observations (I.e.
the value of the precession).
"Thqt marble was sculptured and given to Antonlnus Plus as ornament to
his library together with the catalogue of fixed stars by Ptolemy, just
calculated for the time of his reign", BIANCHINI, Globus Farneslanus 1039
(note 55).
The globe does not seem to me that "donne une Image Immobile du clel", as
stated In Germalne AUJAC, La symbollque des du monde en
Grece anclenne. In: Imago et Mensura Mundl. Attl del IX Congresso
Internazlonale dl Storla della Cartografla, 1981 Plsa (Roma 1985), 1 : 433-
441, esp. 436. The presence of the precession, for the first time registered
on a globe, makes the sky and the so called fixed stars definitely alive.
My first approach to the Atlante Farnese was In the occasion of the exhibit
of the sculpture In Paris; see Costanza GIALANELLA and Vladlmlro VALE-
RIO, Atlas Farnese. In: Cartes et Figures de la Terre (Paris 1980), 84. An
Italian translation appeared In the catalogue Itlnerarlo Farneslano. Le
sculture Farnese del Museo dl Napoll (Napoll 1982),24-25.
On the numerous Individual problems posed by the star catalogue we may
see the aged but stili the best treatment of the catalogue as a whole by
Christian H.F. PETERS and Edward B. KNOBEL, Ptolemy's Catalogue of
Stars. A revision of the Almagest (Washington 1915), esp. 7-15; at page 15
we read "The comparison of the longltudes of zodiacal stars only for A.D.
100 shows a mean error of + 34'.9, equivalent to 42 years, making the true
epoch of Ptolemy's Catalogue A.D. 58, which Is not very dissimilar to A.D.
63 adopted by Bode". See also for an update treatment of the star
catalogue and Its sources NEUGEBAUER, A History of Ancient Mathemtlcal
Astronomy 1 : 280-288 (note 60), where he refuses the trivial assumption
that Ptolemy's catalogue derived by Hlpparchus only adding 2" 40' to the
longltudes, and G.J. TOOMER, Ptolemy's Almagest. Translated and
annotated by G.J. T oomer (London 1984), 1-26, esp. 14-17.
F or the value adopted by PTOLEMY see Almagest I, 12 and the notes by
TOO MER, Ptolemy's Almagest 61-63 (note (5). For other ancient values
see NEUGEBAUER, A History of Ancient Mathematical Astronomy 349, 582,
772 (for a reference to Strabo), 844 (to Vltruvlus) and 889 (note (0).
Just to have an Idea of the epoch which the precession of the Farnese
Globe well fits we may run the same calculus used by BlANCH 1Nl, Globus
Farneslanus 1032-1033 (note 55). The value of 5 09' of right ascension of
Aries give about 8 48' of longitude against 6 40' registered In the
Almagest. According to Flamsteed's catalogue for 1690 the longitude of
the same star Is 28 51'; thus the difference between the two observations
Is 20 03' which means, In time, 1424 years - using a precession of 71 years
- 114 -
per degree. The value of the precesslon reglstered on the globe Is referred
to about 2&& A.D.
I don't belleve at all the epoch calculated In such a crude way may be
correct. I thlnk the displacement of the colure has been necessarlly exag-
gerated, otherwlse the equator, the ecllptlc and the colure rlsked to joln In
a too IIttle triangle, confused In the thlckness of the marbel clrcles.
(&8) The horlzon of mlddle Phoenlcla gets partlcular value In the Almagest
(XIII, 7-10) where PTOLEMY refers all his da ta of planetary phases to "one
Intermediate latltude of the Medlterranean area, I.e. to the latltude of
Phoenlcla where the longest day Is the mean value" between Alexan-
dria and ROdhes, quoted from NEUGEBAUER, A HIstory of Anclent Mathe-
matlcal Astronomy 1 : 234 (note &0). Accordlng to Ptolemy, latltude of
Mlddle Phoenlcla Is 33 18' north, see the Almagest 11, 6 In partleukir the
descrlptlon of the tenth parallel whlch goes through the mlddle of
Phoenlcla.
(6'1) HINCKLEY ALLEN, Star names 270 (note 45) attributes to Gemlnus and
Varro the first dlstlnctlon of Balance from the Chaelae of Scorplo.
(70) In Almagest VII, 3 we find a list of 18 stars ('1 per hemlsphere) wlth thelr
decllnatlon recorded by Arlstyllos-Tymocharls, by Hlpparchus and by hlm-
self. It must be noted that not all of them agree wlth the acutal position In
the Farnese globe - even If we have to conslder the dlfflculty to locate
exactly the position of the stars In the constellatlons - but It Is a matter of
fact that Splca (the left hand of Vlr.go) Is south to the equator.
(71) See my note &8. It Is also the ca se to remlnd the sound advlce of NEUGE-
BAUER, A HIstory of Anclent Mathematlcal Astronomy 2 : 733 (note &0)
who observes -the tendency to adjust emplrlcal da ta to numerologlcal
speculatlons In early Greek geography. As an example he quotes the
definition of the terrestrlal zones by GemlnusJ the terrestrlal quadrant Is
dlvlded Into three zones whlch are 4/15,5/15 and 6/15 (earth's quadrant
supposed to be composed of 15 parts). The first flgure leads to the troplc
(I.e. 24), the boundary between the second and the thlrd falls just at 54
north whlch becomes the position of the arctlc clrcle. Neugebauer
concludes that the clrcumstance "may weil be the real cause of the Impor-
tance of = 3& In later geography and astronomy, rather than any
relation to Hlpparchus or to Rodhes".
(72) TOOMER, Ptolemy's Almagest 15 (note 65).
ZUM KARTEN BILD UND ZU BERECHNUNGSMGLICHKEITEN
AN DER HIMMELSKUGEL DES FARNESISCHEN ATLAS
Vladlmlro Valerlo
Vorausgeschickt wird, da die erste wirklich universelle Beschreibung lte-
rer Erd- und Himmelsgloben von Florlnl (1827-1'101), Professor an der Universi-
tt Bologna, vorgelegt worden Ist. Florlnl hat nicht nur ber die historische Ent-
wicklung von Projektionen gearbeitet, sondem auch zwischen 18'13 und 18'18
mit Hilfe eines Formulares; das an Italienische Bibliotheken, Archive und an
private Sammler gesandt wurde, Informationen ber Globen gesammelt. Uber
die Ergebnisse wurden 18'13 und 1894 Im "Bollettlno della Socletd GeografIca
Itallana" berichtet, S. Gnther hat 18'15 eine deutsche (verbesserte) Auflage
-115 -
dieses Artikels herausgegeben, die meist als "Florl nl-Gnther" bezeichnet wird.
erschien dann das groe Buch ''Sfere terrestrl e celestl dl auto re Itallano
oppure fatte 0 conservate In Italla", das erste Buch seiner Art, das auch mehr Ist
als ein Katalog der-lri Italien erhaltenen Globen. Stevenson bezieht sich Immer In
seinem bekannten Buch "T errestrlal and Celestlal Globes" auf Florlnl, dessen
WIssensstand er In vielem nicht verbessert hat. Heute wird Stevenson viel fters
zitiert als Florlnl. Dies ungeachtet der Tatsache, da z.B. Florlnl 15 Selten dem
FarnesIschen Atlas widmet, Stevenson nur 16 Zellen. So Ist es nicht verwunder-
lich, da hier besonders auf Florlnls Plonlertat hingewiesen wird.
Dem Problemen des Fameslschen Atlasses auf die Spur zu kommen Ist auf
vielerlei Art mglich. Zwei Mglichkeiten kristallisieren sich heraus: Eine stilisti-
sche - ber die mir leider keine grundlegenden Forschungen vorliegen - und eine
astronomische, der Ich In meiner Kompetenz folgen will. Stilistischer und
astronomischer Befund mssen aber mit einander verbunden sein, will man die
Zelt der Herstellung der Skulptur bestimmen. Betrachtet man die Darstellung
der Sternbilder auf dem Globus, so scheint eine Herstellung nicht spter als das
erste Jahrhundert v.Chr. richtig. Nun wurde, seit die Skulptur In der Mitte des
1&. Jhdts. ausgegraben wurde, der Farnesische Atlas nur einmal grndlich
studiert, wie man aus der Vielzahl von Verffentlichungen entnehmen kann. In
den letzten zwei Jahrhunderten wurde die Bedeutung der Darstellung auf dem
Himmelsglobus unterschtzt, je es gibt sogar Unterschiede bel der Bestimmung
der Zahl der dargestellten Sternbilder. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll nur ein Beginn
fr weitere Untersc:hungen sein, mit dem Ziel, nicht nur die Bibliographie
aufzuarbeiten, sondern eine detaillierte Beschreibung der Himmelskugel zu
erarbeiten. Generell gilt Passerls "Atlas Farneslanus" als erster, bester und
systematischer Bericht ber die Skulptur. Dies stimmt nicht, sogar Passerl hat In
seinem Vorwort auf eine vorherige Untersuchung von Blanchlnl verwiesen, der
bel dieser Untersuchung vom berhmten Casslnl begleitet war (16'15). Diese
Untersuchung wurde bereits 16'17 verffentlicht, sie ent hlt das erste gedruckte
Bild der Skulptur. Blanchlnl verweist auf die Notwendigkeit, einen Astronomen -
Casslnl - zur Untersuchung zuzuziehen. Blanchlnls Tod (172'1) verhinderte das
grundlegenden Beschreibung, die er voraussichtlich zwischen
1700 - 1720 begonnen hatte. Das Manuskript wird 1731 bzw. 1735 unter den bel
seinem Tod- unverffentlichten Werken erwhnt, es liegt In der Blblloteca
Capltolare In Verona auf.
Dieses Manuskr ipt hatte keinen Einflu auf Passerl, der weder die astrono-
mischen Berechnungen verstand, noch Blanchlnls historisches Wissen hatte. Re-
konstruiert man die Geschichte der Beschreibungen des Farnesischen Atlasses,
mu man die beste und Interessanteste zur Rate ziehen: eine Zeichnung von
Martln Folkes (16'10-1754); Folkes war eine EInzeierscheinung eines Gelehrten,
der nach einer Reise - auf dieser war er vom Farnesischen Atlas besonders
beeindruckt - zum Archologen wurde. Diese Abbildung erschien 173'1 In
Bentleys Ausgabe des "Astronomieon" des Manllio. (Wird derzeit als "Anonymus"
von Deborah Warn er gefhrt). Die Zeichnung zeigt den Globus nicht In
Perspektive, so wie das Immer gemacht wurde, sondern In stereographischer
Projektion. Nur die mathematische Fhigkeit Folkes' ermglichte so eine przise
Darstellung, eine Projektion, die Kreise In Kreise umsetzt und automorph Ist, fr
astronomische Zwecke durchaus geeignet. (Astrolabien basieren auf stereogra-
-116 -
phlscher Projektion). Mglicherweise war Folkes' Ansicht von einem Modell
abgenommen worden, das vielleicht ous Gips bestand; davon Ist nichts erhalten.
Aber auf die Genauigkeit kann vielleicht aus Sir Hans Sloane's Kopie des Globus
des Farnesischen Atlasses geschlossen werden, die meiner Meinung mit Folkes'
Muster, dem qectypum", In Verbindung steht. Sioanes Kopie sollte nicht vor
_ Bentley erwhnt sie nicht - und nicht nach dem Tode Folkes' entstanden sein.
Durch Folkes kam der Farnesische Himmelsglobus nach England, und Martln
erwhnt Ihn und z. B. auch eine Kopie, die er bel sich habe, d.h. mehrere
Exemplare muten In England Mitte des 18. Jhdts. vorhanden sein. Martln macht,
obwohl ber Durchmesser und Radius Verwirrung herrscht, eine sehr gute
Berechnung des Wertes der Przession und hlt etw'a 50 fest, was 360 Jahre
nach dem Zeitpunkt bedeutet, an dem der Kolur Im Punkt der Tag- und
Nachtgleiche lag. Dieser Schlu, sowie auch das folgende Herstellungsdatum
"einige Jahre vor Christi Geburt" und die Annahme, da der Kolur der Tag- und
Nachtgleiche durch das Horn des Widders 2200 Jahre vor seiner Zelt (d. I. etwa
430 v.Chr.) - unter Bezugnahme auf Zelt und Beobachtungen des Hlpparch..,
luft, sind Irrig. Allerdings: Martln legt einen der seltenen Versuche vor, das
Datum des Globus nach der Przession festzuhalten. Der Farnesische Atlas galt
Im 18. Jhdt. als ein bedeutendes Werk und mute von jedem Interessierten
Reisenden betrachtet werden (Wlnckelmann, Lalande u.a.). 1813, gelegentlich
der bersetzung des Almagest Ins Franzsische, wurde das Interesse am
Farnesischen Atlas wieder geweckt, dabei gleichzeitig festgehalten, da unter
Antonlnus Plus ein Atlas mit einer Himmelskugel auf einer Mnze abgebildet
wird. Vorgesehen waren In dieser bersetzung mehrere Darstellungen des
Farnesischen Atlasses, aber dieser Plan wurde aufgegeben. Inzwischen wurde
die Skulptur nach Neapel verbracht, entgegen Protesten von Gelehrten In Rom
und 'gegen den Willen des Kardinals Alessandro Farnese (1520-1589). Eine Kopie
In Porzellan wurde In der bekannten Fabbrlca dl Capodlmonte hergestellt. Unter
anderem hat 1825 Inghlraml vier Ansichten des Globus seinen "Monumentl
Etruschl" beigefgt.
Auch sptere Erwhnungn, bis In das 20. Jhdt., bringen ,keine neuen Dinge,
hchstens Verwirrungen durch Imaginre Datierungen, z.B. Stevenson: 300
Jahre v. Chr., Lloyd A.Brown: 4. Jhdt. v.Chr., De Smet: 200 Jahre v.Cnr., Fauser:
rmische Kopie des ersten Jahrhunderts v.Chr., etc. Aujac z.B. sagt: rmische
Reproduktion eines hellenistischen Modells, damit kann die Entstehungszelt
Innerhalb von 400 Jahren liegen.
Zurck zu Blanchlnl, dessen Manuskript ber den Farnesischen Atlas 1152,
nur zwei Jahre ncich der fehlerhaften Schilderung von Passerl, Im Druck er-
schien. Blanchlnls Schrift wird nirgends zitiert, hier Ist sie das erstemal In die
Untersuchung einbezogen. Dem Manuskript hinzugefgt Ist nur das Bild von
Antonlnus' Mnze. Besonders Interessant sind die Kapitell und 2, die anderen
befassen sich mit historischen und mythischen Beschreibungen der Sternbilder.
Dabei mu man festhalten, da das Ziel des Autors darin lag, aufzuzeigen, da
die Sternbilder In Beziehung zu der mythisch-historischen Eroberung des Golde ..
nen VlIesses lagen. Im ersten Kapitel verweist Blanchlnl auch auf Antonlnus'
Mnze und meint, da die Statue auf Ihr abgebildet sei. Dies sei auch ein Indika-
tor, da der Globus whrend der Herrschaft von Antonlnus (138-161) geschaf-
fen wurde. Damit steht fest, da die Sternbilder nach Eudoxus, Aratus, Cicero,
-117 -
Germanlcus und anderen bersetzern nach den Beobachtungen von Hlpparch
und Ptolemus aufgezeichnet sind. Das zweite Kapitel handelt von den Positio-
nen der Sterne, die er mit Ptolemus' Koordinaten Im Vergleich zu Flamsteeds
Katalog (1690) berprft. Blanchlril findet die stets sichtbaren Sterne fr einen
Breitegrad der Herstellung, der Mazedonlen el'ltsprlcht, dies ein Platz, wo
Aratus gearbeitet hat. Sodann geht er auf den Wert fr die Przession der
quinoktien ein. Diese war von Hlpporch In der Mitte des 2.Jhdts.v.Chr.
entdeckt worden und wurde In keiner astronomischen Schrift. vor' Ptolemus
(150 n.Chr.) erwhnt. Hier eine erste Schlufolgerung: Finden wir keine
frheren Erwhnungen, Ist es absolut unmglich, da die Skulptur oder Ihre
Vorlage' vor der Abfassung des Almagest mglich wre. Blanchlnl geht auf die
Position des Sterns Gamma Arles ein, mit einem sehr nahen Wert, wie er Im
Almagest angefhrt wird (Ptolemus bentzt die Ekllptlk-Koordlnatenl).
Blanchlnl berprft aber auch noch andere Sterne (Beta Poilu x, In Caprlcornus
etc.l. Alle diese stimmten mit dem Almagest berein. Die gleiche Przession,
nmlich 3, wird auch fr den Herbstpunkt festgehalten und zeigt, da die
genaue FesUegung der Przession mehr als ein Zufall Ist. Damit kommt
Blanchlnl zur Schlufolgerung, da die Skulptur fr Antonlnus Plus nach dem
Fixstern-Katalog von ptolemus fr die Bibliothek In der Epoche jenes Kaisers
gemacht wurde.
Jetzt Ist man, zufolge besserer Memethoden und genauerer Kenntnis, mit
dem Almagest und seinen Problemen nicht mehr ganz so sicher wie Blanchlnl es
war. Ptolemus' Sternkatalog gibt die Posltonen mit einem mittleren Fehler von
einem Grad In der Lnge an, was Blanchlnl und Cassll'll nicht wuten (oder
vorgaben, nicht zu Wissen), damit ergibt sich die HImmelspositIon wie etwa 15
Jahre vor Ptolemus. Damit schleicht sich auch ein Irrtum beim Vergleich mit
Flamsteeds Katalog ein. Desgleichen hat man zur Zelt von Blanchlnl weder mit
statistischen Mitteln, noch mit mittleren Standardabweichungen gearbeitet, und
Blanchlnl nahm an, da die Himmelskreise auf der Skulptur genau waren und da
die Wendekreise bel 23 1/2 lagen, wie das zu seiner Zelt festgelegt war.'
ptolemus selbst gibt 23 51' an, die Kreise sind aber auch nicht Immer In
gleicher Distanz vom quator. Tatschlich liegen sie bei etwa 25, was ein Grad
mehr Ist als In 'der Antike angenommen wurde. Ein Grad auf dem Farnesischen
Globus bedeutet 5 mm, wobei die DIcke der LinIen auf der Skulptur zwischen 3
und 6 mm schwankt!
Dos heit, da die von Blanchlnl zugrunde gelegten Messungen fehlerhaft
sind und, der Wert der Przession etwas hher liegend, nicht mit dem ptolemi-
schen Koordinaten bereinstimmt. Die zwei Polarkreise - nach der Antike die
Immer sichtbaren und die nie sichtbaren Gegenden umgrenzend .. sind auf
56
0
43' N und 5526' S gelegen, d.h. da der Horizont, fr den der Globus ent-
worfen wurde, etwa bel 33 30' liegt. Sollte dies richtig sein, u.zw. nach dem
Willen des Herstellers und nicht nach Zufall, sind die Polarkreise auf Mlttel-
Phoenlzlen bezogen, wobei wir zu warnen haben, da Breitenunterschiede
zwischen Phoenlzlen, Alexandrlen, Rhodos und Macedonlen zu einer , leichten
Verschiebung der Kreise auf der Sphre fhren mssen, eine Verschiebung, die
hher Ist als der mittlere Fehler, der beim Ausmessen der Kreise gefunden wird.
Dennoch knnen diese kleinen Diskrepanzen Blanchlnls Meinung nicht
erschttern und widersprechen auch nicht dem Almagest. Im Gegenteil, als
- 118-
Schlufolgerung gebe Ich einige Daten an, die den Almagest als Basis fr den
Globus beweisen, und damit :;elne Entstehung um 150 n.Chr.:
1. Die Waage wird In den Sternbildern aufgefhrt, sie war Aratus und Hlpparch
unbekannt, sie tritt Im westlichen Kulturkreis mit dem Beginn unserer Zeit-
rechnung auf.
2. Die Przession der quinoktien Ist klar ausgedrckt und diese wird nur bel
Ptolemus nach dem heute verschollenen Werk von Hlpparch ber die Ver-
schiebung der Punkte der Solstitien beschrieben.'
3. Stellt Ptolemus Im Almagest einige Vergleiche ber die Deklination einiger
Sterne an und findet, da der Stern In der linken Hand von Vlrgo (Splca)
nrdlich des quators zur Zelt des Hlpparchus und In seiner Zelt sdlich lag.
Die linke Hand von Vlrgo Ist zweifellos auf dem Farnesischen Globus sdlich
des quators dargestellt.
lt. Die Darstellung. auf dem ganzen Globus, besonders die Stellung der Sternbil-
der zueinander, Ist zu genau aufgezeichnet, um ohne wissenschaftliche
Grundlage entstanden zu sein, und diese war nur der Almagest. Aratus gibt
zwar eine gute Beschreibung der Sternbilder, konnte aber nie zu einer
mathematisch etwa genauen Darstellung des Himmels fhren.
5. Im Almagest Ist der Horizont von Mlttel-Phnlzlen fr Ptolemus von
grundlegender Bedeutung; und die Position von Canopus (In Schiff Argo) ent-
spricht dem Kreis der dort nicht sichtbaren Sterne.
Alle Wissenschaftler, mit Ausnahme von Blanchlnl, hielten den Farnesischen
Atlas fr eine Kopie eines lteren Originals, welches In seiner Entstehung
zwischen dem lt. vor- und dem 1. nachchristlichen Jahrhundert zugeordnet wird.
Fr mich Ist hingegen der Farnesische Atlas ein Original, oder wenn eine Kopie,
dann eine gleichzeitige. Die Ausfhrung liegt zwischen 150 und 192 n. Chr., Ich
denke an 150 bis 160, also die Zelt des Antonlnus Plus. Der Farnesische Atlas Ist
ein Werk, das Wissenschaft und Kunst vereint. Der Globus zeigt den WIssensstand
der Zelt des Almagest, wenngleich er In einigen Details auf andere und
nachahmende Vorgnger verweist. Der Globus verkrpert die astronomische
Kenntnis In der Antike In gleicher Welse wie der Almagest. Der Farnesische Atlas
gibt Antwort auf viele Fragen, die Toomer In bezug auf Ptolemus' Almagest
stellt.
(Kurzfassung: Rudolf Schmldt)
- 119 -
,"" ,
'I!
Portrait of the astronomer and hlstorlan Francesco Blanchlnl (Verona 1662,
Rome 1729) who was author of the flrststudy on the Farnese Atlas (1695) past-
humously publlshed In 1752. Etchlng from his blography by Alessandro Mazzolenl
(Verona 1735).
-120 - -121 -
Ec Q..,tt!DlUAl'l'ftia .
P .R A ..PA T'l 0
IN O"PfJSC'DL'iJ/4 J INSC1(!8lTf)1l,
GLOBUS FARNESIANUS
Br ZB ' 0
All:ronomiae J Chrono-
logiae; & HiRodae- Aetati . He-
. :.Gmecis ad nos
tranfmiKa.
( EN (theMI
Prlltfo1is l'lllrll; 1111;.)

&iUS ..
(') Uartu' jam; fapra quinqU&Keu';'
x.. mum,annus elabitur,ex quo Prac.
ful FrancifcUs Blanchinu. Pa
trous meus amanti1ftmu.;. in HiIlDr.
Vnirvtrfo/i Antiq.uorum de monime.A-
ds. coHea Bc fY!DbohC.
(e
produtlum 1!1
nem CaeleWs GI0Dl J fais AO:erlfmls
opere anaglypho incifi , neeDOD diftin-
ru Sphaerae armillaris, & fill.
ul ..
Title and first poge of the work py Francesco Blanchlnl on the "Globus Farnesla-
nus". The edItor of the posthumous edItion (Rome 1752) was hIs nephew Glusep-
pe Blanchlnl who added a short preface and a few notes to the manuscrIpt.
ThIs publication was unknown and so far unrecorded.
-122 -
First plate appended to "Globus Farneslanus"by F. Blanchlnl. The six plates
come from the same copperplates utilized by Passerl In his work published at
Florence In 1750. The only ' difference Is In the first Image where a cain of
Antonlus Plus showing Atlas was added by Gulseppe Blanchlnl; the Images were
renumber'jd from six to seven. ,The engraver was Glovannl Petroschl who signed
with the monogram I. P. R. the fifth plate. Petroschl also signed a few plates of
the second edition of Blanchlnl's "Istorla Unlversale" (Rome 17,.7).
-123 -
Table number six from the "Globus Farneslanus" by F. Blanchlnl (Rome 1752).
The displacement of the Autumnal Point Is shown In D B. From the legend we
read: "DB Precesslo Aequlnoctlorum etate ptolemel".
-124 -
o 1
I I
of great circle
COLURE
2518'
EQUATOR
R
v = VERNAL POINT
VR = RIGHT ASCENSION OF GAMMA ARIES = 509'
The spherical triangle formed by equator, ecliptic and colure used for the
computation of the precession. V R Is taken from the original, as well as the
angle of the ecliptic. The value of the precession Is VR = 50 which leads,
according to the rate stated by ptolemy - I.e. 1
0
per century -, to about 380 of
our Era. For a different computation of. the epoch making use of the precession
see my note 67. In my vlew,both computations are not reliable, In this case we
may only be sure that precession Is registered.