Ptolemy
~100–170 CE · Greco-Egyptian (Alexandria) · Roman Empire
Known for: His geocentric model dominated astronomy for 1,400 years
Ptolemy's geocentric model of the universe—with Earth at the center—was wrong but impressively functional. His Almagest predicted planetary positions with remarkable accuracy using epicycles. His Geography mapped the known world.
He dominated astronomy and geography for over a millennium. Being wrong for 1,400 years is its own kind of achievement.
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