The Table of Noteworthy Cities (; also known as "the Kanon") is a list of cities compiled by Ptolemy shortly after creating the Geography. Whilst the term "πόλεων ἐπισήμων/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 Originally, the text of the Kanon was thought, for example by Vogul Fischer, to derive from Book 8 of the Geography, however it is now demonstrated to be part of an independent textual tradition. The first critical edition and translation into a modern language (German) appeared in 2006 by Koch, Mittenhuber and Stückelberger.
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; the next 4 oldest manuscripts date to the 9th century: +Manuscripts of the KanonSiglumLibraryShelfmarkFoliosDateNotes SourceLLeidenBPG 7866r-74vpartially c.813-20 ADVVaticangr. 129117v–21vc.820 ADOgival majuscule hand.https://spotlight.vatlib.it/greek-paleography/feature/ogival-majusculeMMarciangr. 3311r/v9th cent.fLaurentianPlutei 28.2651r–54vend of 9th cent.
Rylands Papyrus 522 The Rylands Papyrus 522 is the earliest surviving fragment of the Kanon, that from tables 2 to 6 (Europe), dating from the early to mid 3rd century AD, less than a generation after Ptolemy himself. It measures 11.3cm by 11.7cm and was acquired by Rylands Library in 1917 and was authored, it is thought, in Fayum. According to Defaux, who produced the critical edition and translation in 2020, the following cities are mentioned in the fragment: pp.122-6 +P. Ryl. Gr. 3 522 (from Europe, Tables 2 - 6)CityLatitudeLongitudeClunia11°42°Caesaraugusta14° 30’41° 30’Gallia AquitaniaMediolanum17° 40’46° 45’Burgigala18°45° 30’Gallia LugdunensisAugustodunum23° 20’46° 10’Lugdunum23° 15’45° 20’Gallia BelgicaGesoriacum22° 30’53° 20’Durocottorum23° 15’48° 30’Gallia NarbonensisMassalia21° 10’43° 5’Narbo21° 30’43° 15’Arelate21° 15’43° 20’Vienna23°44°Nemausus22°44° 30’GermaniaPannonia SuperiorPoetovioScarbantiaEmonaPannonia InferiorServitiumMursiaSirmium4 4° 30’45° [...]IllyricymIader42°43° 20’Salonae4° 30’43° 40’Sidrona3° 15’44° 30’Narona44° 20’[42°] 45’Scardona Insula41° 30’[43° 30’]ItaliaNicotera Aricia28°4[...]Terracinae37° 30’NeapolisRhegium IuliumTarentumBrundisiumAnconaRavennaAquileiaPraenestePisaeRomaBeneventumCapuaCorsica Insula
Comparison of Codicies to Papyrus 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 PapyrusPapyrusVLfMπαννονιας της κατωπαννονιας της κατωπαννονιας τ[η]ς κατωπαννονιας της κατωσεβιτιονσερβιτιονσερβιτιονσερβιτιονμουπσειαμουρσαλλαμουρσα?σιρμιονσιρμιονσιρμιοησιρβιονιλλυριδοςϊλλυριδοσχωρΙλλυριδ[οσ] λιβρνι Δαλμαιλλυριδος [??]ιαδερϊαδεριάδεραιαδιρασαλωναισαλωναυσιαρωναμ ?σαλῶμαισαλωναισυρδωνσιδρὼνσιδρωναναρωναναρωναναρξὼν ? ?ναρωνασαρδωνα νησοςσκαρδωνησιανηςσαρδώνα νῆσοςεπιδαυροςϊταλιαςϊαταιιταλιαςιταλιαςνικοτεραι αρικιανικειαπασσαλιωτνικαιανικαιαπεισιαιπτετεστοςταρακειναιταρραικειναιταρρακειναιταρρακιναιταρακιναινεαπολιςνεαπολιςνεαπολιςνεαπολιςνεαπολίςρηγιον ϊουλιονρηγιονϊουλιονρηγειονϊουλειονῤήγι[ον] ιούλιονρηγιον ϊουλιονταρραςταραςταρραςτάραςταραςβρεντεσιονβρεντεσιονβρεντεσιονβρεντήσιονβρεντεσι[?]ναγκωνακωναλκωνἀγκωηαγκωνραουενναραβενναραβενναρὰούενναραουενναακουλειαακυληιαακυληϊαακουληίαακουλιαπραινεστοςπεισαιρωμηρωμηρωμηρὤμηρωμημενουεντοςβενεβενδτορ[ο]νβενεβενδὸςουενεβενδοσκαπυηπ?ενιτοςπρενεστοςπιοσαπεσιακαπυηκαπυηκαπυηκυρνου [νησου]κουρνουαλεριακύρνου νήσονκυρνου νησου
See also
Handy Tables Almagest Geography (Ptolemy)
References
External links
Rylands Papyrus Greek 522 - a 3rd century fragment of the Kanon. See catalogue entry here. Codex Leidensis BGP 78 - 9th century recention of the Kanon.