The side-tradition (Nebenüberlieferung) of the geographical work of the Alexandrian mathematician and astronomer Claudios Ptolemy has yet not been explored systematically. Substantial, concerning Ptolemy’s Geography, Book 6, with the areas Middle Orient, Central and Northern Asia including China, are: 1) the list of the so-called Poleis Diasemoi as part of Geography, Book 8, which are closely related to the Kanon of the Poleis Episemoi, 2) the description of the Persian Empire, a part of the Res Gestae of Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus, 3) the „Circum-Sailing of the Outer Sea“of Greek author Marcianos of Heracleia completed with Stephanos of Byzantion, 4) the 'worldshow' (Ashkharhatsoyts) of the Armenian Ananias von Shirak, formerly contributed to (Pseudo-)Moses of Chorene, 5) then the „third treatment“ of the Syrian Episcope Jacob of Edessa, 6) the „Book of the Image of the Earth“ (Kitab Surat al-ard) of the Arab author al-Khwarizmi in addition with the „Book of the Mircales of the seven Klimata“ (Kitab al-agha’ib al-akhalim as-sab’a) of the Arab author Suhrab.
The study presents first a general introduction to the Greek codices, the editions and publications of Ptolemys Geography related to Book 6. The Syrian, Armenian und Arab texts are given for the first time in a transliteration, some in transcription, and with a translation. Some of these texts are published for the first time. A large scale reconstruction of the map from that Arab text of al-Khwarizmi of the related parts has been added.
Study Areas: History of Geography, Central Asia, Classical Philology (Greek, Latin), Ancient History, Byzantion, Oriental Studies, Armenian, Arab, Syriaque, History of Cartography
