Table of Noteworthy Cities (Ptolemy)

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Early 3rd Century AD papyrus fragment of the Kanon in the John Rylands Research Institute and Library

The Table of Noteworthy Cities (Ancient Greek: κανὼν πόλεων ἑπισήμον, romanized: Kanòn Póleon Episémon; also known as "the Kanon")[1] is a list of cities compiled by Ptolemy shortly after creating the Geography. Whilst the term "πόλεων ἑπισήμον/póleon episémon" (noteworthy cities) was in use before his time, Ptolemy is thought to have popularised the term. Roberts (1938) suggests that it formed an aid ("hilfsmittel") to the Handy Tables.

Text

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Originally, the text of the Kanon was thought, for example by Vogul Fischer, to derive from Book 8 of the Geography,[2] however it is now demonstrated to be part of an independent textual tradition.[3][1] The first critical edition and translation into a modern language (German) appeared in 2006 by Koch, Mittenhuber and Stückelberger.[1]

Several medieval recensions of the text survive with the earliest being the early 3rd century P. Ryl. Gr. 3 522 in the Rylands Library of Manchester University;[4] the next 4 oldest manuscripts date to the 9th century:[3][1]

Manuscripts of the Kanon
Siglum Library Shelfmark Folios Date Notes Source
L Leiden BPG 78 66r-74v partially c.813-20 AD [5]
V Vatican gr. 1291 17v–21v c.820 AD Ogival majuscule hand.[6] [7]
M Marcian gr. 331 1r/v 9th cent. [8]
f Laurentian Plutei 28.26 51r–54v end of 9th cent. [9]

Rylands Papyrus 522

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The Rylands Papyrus 522 is the earliest surviving fragment of the Kanon, that from tables 2 to 6 (Europe),[1] dating from the early to mid 3rd century AD, less than a generation after Ptolemy himself. It meaures 11.3cm by 11.7cm and was acquired in by Rylands Library in 1917 and was authored, it is thought, in Fayum.[10] According to Defaux, who produced the critical edition and translation in 2020, the following cities are mentioned in the fragment:[3][11]

P. Ryl. Gr. 3 522 (from Europe, Tables 2 - 6)
City Latitude Longitude
Clunia 11° 42°
Caesaraugusta 14° 30’ 41° 30’
Gallia Aquitania
Mediolanum 17° 40’ 46° 45’
Burgigala 18° 45° 30’
Gallia Lugdunensis
Augustodunum 23° 20’ 46° 10’
Lugdunum 23° 15’ 45° 20’
Gallia Belgica
Gesoriacum 22° 30’ 53° 20’
Durocottorum 23° 15’ 48° 30’
Gallia Narbonensis
Massalia 21° 10’ 43° 5’
Narbo 21° 30’ 43° 15’
Arelate 21° 15’ 43° 20’
Vienna 23° 44°
Nemausus 22° 44° 30’
Germania
Pannonia Superior
Poetovio
Scarbantia
Emona
Pannonia Inferior
Servitium
Mursia
Sirmium 4 4° 30’ 45° [...]
Illyricym
Iader 42° 43° 20’
Salonae 4[3]° 30’ 43° 40’
Sidrona [4]3° 15’ 44° 30’
Narona 44° 20’ [42°] 45’
Scardona Insula 41° 30’ [43° 30’]
Italia
Nicotera Aricia 28° 4[...]
Terracinae 37° 30’
Neapolis
Rhegium Iulium
Tarentum
Brundisium
Ancona
Ravenna
Aquileia
Praeneste
Pisae
Roma
Beneventum
Capua
Corsica Insula

Comparison of Codicies to Papyrus

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Approximately 27 toponyms survive intact on the papyrus which can be compared with the 8th century codicies to study the transmission of the text. Of the three manuscripts V, L & f (M is difficult to read):

  • V is the most innovative, only 8 toponyms are copied directly with the rest of the document populated with different places.
  • 3 toponyms only appear in the papyus and do not appear in any codicies.
  • L agrees with the papyrus exactly on 11 occasions, and agrees closely on 2 occasions
  • f agrees with the papyrus exactly on 12 occasions and closely on 4 occasions.
  • M agrees with the papyrus exactly on 12 occasions and closely on 6 occasions

Therefore f or M are the closest to the papyrus archetype.

Comparison of Toponyms: Codicies to Papyrus
Papyrus V L f M
παννονιας της κατω παννονιας της κατω παννονιας τ[η]ς κατω παννονιας της κατω
σεβιτιον σερβιτιον σερβιτιον σερβιτιον
μουπσεια μουρσαλλα μουρσα ?
σιρμιον σιρμιον σιρμιοη σιρβιον
ιλλυριδος ϊλλυριδοσχωρ Ιλλυριδ[οσ] λιβρνι Δαλμα ιλλυριδος [??]
ιαδερ ϊαδερ ιάδερα ιαδιρα
σαλωναι σαλωναυσιαρωναμ ? σαλῶμαι σαλωναι
συρδων[12] σιδρὼν σιδρωνα
ναρωνα ναρωνα ναρξὼν ? ? ναρωνα
σαρδωνα νησος σκαρδωνησιανης σαρδώνα νῆσος
επιδαυρος
ϊταλιας ϊαται ιταλιας ιταλιας
νικοτεραι αρικια[13] νικειαπασσαλιωτ νικαια νικαια
πεισιαι
πτετεστος
ταρακειναι ταρραικειναι ταρρακειναι ταρρακιναι ταρακιναι
νεαπολις νεαπολις νεαπολις νεαπολις νεαπολίς
ρηγιον ϊουλιον ρηγιονϊουλιον ρηγειονϊουλειον ῤήγι[ον] ιούλιον ρηγιον ϊουλιον
ταρρας ταρας ταρρας τάρας ταρας
βρεντεσιον βρεντεσιον βρεντεσιον βρεντήσιον βρεντεσι[?]ν
αγκων ακων αλκων ἀγκωη αγκων
ραουεννα ραβεννα ραβεννα ρὰούεννα ραουεννα
ακουλεια ακυληια ακυληϊα ακουληία ακουλια
πραινεστος
πεισαι
ρωμη ρωμη ρωμη ρὤμη ρωμη
μενουεντος βενεβενδτορ[ο]ν βενεβενδὸς ουενεβενδοσ
καπυη
π?ενιτος πρενεστος
πιοσα πεσια
καπυη καπυη καπυη
κυρνου [νησου] κουρνουαλερια κύρνου νήσον κυρνου νησου

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Ptolemaios, Klaudios (2017-07-04). Handbuch der Geographie: Ergänzungsband mit einer Edition des Kanons bedeutender Städte (in German). Schwabe Verlag Basel. ISBN 978-3-7965-3702-8.
  2. ^ Roberts, C. H. (1938). Catalogue of the Greek and Latin Papyri in the John Rylands Library Manchester, Volume III, Theological and Literary Texts (Nos. 457-551). Manchester University Library. pp. 142–6.
  3. ^ a b c Defaux, Olivier (2020-01-01). "Le Papyrus Rylands 522/523 et les tables de Ptolémée". Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik.
  4. ^ "Episemon poleon kanon". luna.manchester.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  5. ^ "Composite manuscript (Greek): 1. (ff. 1-2, 52-152) Tabulas manuales / Ptolemy, and other text(s). - 2. (ff. 3-51) Commentarius brevior / Theon of Alexandria, and other text(s) - And other part(s), BPG 78".
  6. ^ https://spotlight.vatlib.it/greek-paleography/feature/ogival-majuscule
  7. ^ "Vat.gr.1291".
  8. ^ "Multimedia viewer". www.internetculturale.it. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  9. ^ "Carta: 51r". tecabml.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  10. ^ John Rylands Library (1911). Catalogue of the Greek papyri in the John Rylands library, Manchester. Manchester University Press. Manchester : University Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  11. ^ Defaux, Olivier (2017). The Iberian peninsula in Ptolemy's geography: origins of the coordinates and textual history (Thesis). Berlin: PRO BUSINESS digital printing Deutschland GmbH. ISBN 9783981638462. pp.122-6
  12. ^ Kos, M. Šašel; Kos, P. (2017-04-24). "Sidrona: a Pleiades place resource". Pleiades: a gazetteer of past places. DARMC, R. Talbert, Sean Gillies, Tom Elliott, Jeffrey Becker. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  13. ^ John Rylands Library (1911). Catalogue of the Greek papyri in the John Rylands library, Manchester. Manchester University Press. Manchester : University Press. It is not easy to explain how the corruption in this line has arisen; the writer has no doubt confused Nicaea (Νίκαια Μασσαλιωτῶν) with Nicotera in 5. Italy, and the meridian given is that of Nicaea. The strange thing is that Nicotera does not even appear in Geography, Bk. III, let alone in Bk. VIII or in the Κανών. More surprising is the addition of Aricia in Latium, which has no connexion either with Nicaea or Nicotera; this town again, though it is listed in Geography, Bk. III, does not appear in Bk. VIII or in the Κανών.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
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