A new kind of cartography just for cultural purposes is born in ancient Greece where, together with the practical need of writing down Mediterranean borders in order to support the foundation of new colonies, an original impetus arises from the philosophical research looking for answers about the shape of Earth.
Eratosthenes, in the second half of IV century b.C., is able to compile a world map based on astronomical principles and using a primitive and imperfect geographical grid, lately adopted and revised by the mathematician and astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea.
This knowledge is the starting point even for the greatest exponent of the ancient cartography Claudius Ptolemy, who supports in astronomy the geocentric theory of the Earth and suggests a placement that will be accepted until the Copernican revolution.
From a cartographic point of view, for the first time Ptolemy determines in his Codex the rules to follow in the making of globes and planispheres so much that landmass can be represented using a plane rectangular projection, in case of regional maps, and conic when there are boards illustrating the whole Ecumene.

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