Question

Which phrases in this excerpt from Robert Stawell Ball's Great Astronomers convey a commendable tone toward Ptolemy’s work?

Answer 1

The phrases in this excerpt from Robert Stawell Ball's "Great Astronomers" that have a commendable tone towards Ptolemy's work are:

"Ptolemy is, without doubt, the greatest figure in ancient astronomy. He gathered up the wisdom of the philosophers who had preceded him. He incorporated this with the results of his own observations, and illumined it with his theories."

The author acknowledges Ptolemy's importance to ancient astronomy even if his theories and speculations were later found to be wrong. He explains that, even if they weren't quite right, they resembled the actual facts considerably.