Editing Culture of Egypt (section)

====Ptolemy====
{{Main|Ptolemy}}

[[Ptolemy]] is one of the most famous astronomers and geographers from Egypt, famous for his work in [[Alexandria]]. Born Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: Κλαύδιος Πτολεμαίος; {{circa|85|165}}), he was a [[geographer]], [[astronomer]], and [[astrologer]].<ref>Martin Bernal (1992). "Animadversions on the Origins of Western Science", ''Isis'' '''83''' (4), p. 596-607 [602, 606]</ref>

Ptolemy was the author of two important scientific treatises. One is the astronomical treatise that is now known as the ''[[Almagest]]'' (in Greek ''Η μεγάλη Σύνταξις'', "The Great Treatise"). In this work, one of the most influential books of antiquity, Ptolemy compiled the astronomical knowledge of the ancient Greek and [[Babylonia]]n world. Ptolemy's other main work is his ''Geography''. This too is a compilation, of what was known about the world's [[geography]] in the Roman Empire in his time.

In his ''[[Optics]]'', a work which survives only in an Arabic translation, he writes about properties of [[light]], including [[Reflection (physics)|reflection]], [[refraction]] and [[colour]]. His other works include ''Planetary Hypothesis'', ''Planisphaerium'' and ''Analemma''. Ptolemy's treatise on astrology, the ''[[Tetrabiblos]]'', was the most popular [[astrological]] work of antiquity and also enjoyed great influence in the [[Islamic]] world and the [[medieval]] [[Latin]] [[Western world|West]].

Ptolemy also wrote influential work Harmonics on music theory. After criticizing the approaches of his predecessors, Ptolemy argued for basing musical intervals on mathematical ratios (in contrast to the followers of Aristoxenus) backed up by empirical observation (in contrast to the over-theoretical approach of the Pythagoreans). He presented his own divisions of the tetrachord and the octave, which he derived with the help of a monochord. Ptolemy's astronomical interests appeared in a discussion of the music of the spheres.

Tributes to Ptolemy include Ptolemaeus crater on the Moon and Ptolemaeus crater on Mars.