Ptolemy's Maltese co-ordinates : a reassessment

Abstract

Among the writers of classical antiquity that mention Malta one finds Claudius Ptolemaeus better known as Ptolemy. He refers to five specific locations in the Maltese Islands for which he gives geographical co-ordinates. From this reference it appears that, provided Ptolemy's information is correct, an understanding of his co-ordinate system and its relationship to the modern system should enable the identification of the locations with specific sites on the islands. The identification of the cities of Melite and Gaulos with Mdina/Rabat and the Gozo Citadel/Rabat respectively, and the proof by archaeological excavation that the Juno sanctuary was sited at Tas-Silg, provide further information which can be used to locate the other two sites. The purpose of this paper is to explain the context of Ptolemy's system of geographical co-ordinates and to show how the co-ordinates of the Maltese sites can be used to obtain an approximate location of Chersonesos and the sanctuary dedicated to Hercules.