One of the legendary map makers from Greece, Hipparchus was equally brilliant as an astronomer. Although his birth place was Nicea in Bithynia, Hipparchus was brought up in Rhodes. He was born in 190 BC and lived till 120 BC. Hipparchus was well known for his geographical writings and excellent sense in cartography. In fact his works were greatly valued by his famous successors like Ptolemy.
Â
Works of Hipparchus
- Astronomical calendar
- Catalogue of his own work
- Books on optics and arithmetic
- Geographical and astrological writings
- The commentary on the astronomical poem of Aratus
- A treatise entitled on Objects Carried Down by their Weight
- The Commentary on the Phainomena of Eudoxus and Aratus
Hipparchus was one of the earliest map makers who attempted to update the world map by gathering new information and implementing them in the maps. His astronomical expertise helped him a lot in his cartography works. However, very few of Hipparchus’ cartographic works exist today.
Hipparchus was also an eminent mathematician. His greatest contribution to the mathematical world is in the field of trigonometry.
