Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus)

Claudius Ptolemaeus, commonly known as Ptolemy, was a Greek-Roman scholar who lived in Alexandria around the 2nd century AD. He made significant contributions to astronomy, geography, and mathematics. His most famous work, the "Almagest," proposed a geocentric model of the universe, suggesting that the Earth is at the center and that all celestial bodies, including the Sun and planets, orbit it. Ptolemy's ideas dominated Western astronomical thought for over 1,400 years until the heliocentric model was developed. Additionally, his "Geographia" laid the foundations for modern cartography, influencing maps for centuries.