Marinus of Tyre

ancient geography · mapmaking · mathematics

Invented mathematical geography. Marinus figured out how to use math and angles to map the Earth on a flat surface, which was a brand new idea at the time. This allowed people to create much more accurate maps than ever before.

Used latitude and longitude. He developed the system of using lines to measure where places are on Earth, kind of like a giant grid. This is still how we locate places on maps today.

Inspired Claudius Ptolemy. Marinus's brilliant ideas didn't disappear when he did. A famous geographer named Claudius Ptolemy used Marinus's methods to create an even more detailed map of the world, which influenced mapmaking for over a thousand years.

Ancient Phoenician scholar. Marinus came from Tyre, a Phoenician city, but wrote and taught in Greek. He lived during the Roman Empire and combined the knowledge of many different cultures to understand world geography.

Recorded many locations. Marinus carefully collected information about thousands of cities, mountains, and coastlines, writing down their positions using his mathematical system so others could study them.