![]() ![]() In any case by the mid-4th century the theory of a spherical Earth was well accepted among Greek scholars, and about 350 bce Aristotle formulated six arguments to prove that the Earth was, in truth, a sphere. The idea gradually developed into a consensus over many years. ![]() Some modern scholars attribute the first hypothesis of a spherical Earth to Pythagoras (6th century bce) or Parmenides (5th century). Indeed, the philosophers and scholars of the time appear to have been preoccupied for a number of years with discussions on the nature and extent of the world. He also improved on the delineation of the shape and extent of the then-known regions of the world, and he declared the Caspian to be an inland sea, opposing the prevailing view that it was part of the “northern oceans” ( Figure 1).Īlthough Hecataeus regarded the Earth as a flat disk surrounded by ocean, Herodotus and his followers questioned the concept and proposed a number of other possible forms. A historian with geographic leanings, Herodotus recorded, among other things, an early circumnavigation of the African continent by Phoenicians. A generation later Herodotus, from more extensive studies and wider travels, expanded upon it. Hecataeus, a scholar of Miletus, probably produced the first book on geography in about 500 bce. By 600 bce Miletus, on the Aegean, had become a centre of geographic knowledge, as well as of cosmographic speculation. The shortage of arable land in their own region led to maritime exploration and the development of commerce and colonies. The Greeks were outstanding among peoples of the ancient world for their pursuit and development of geographic knowledge. ![]() Not until the time of the Greek philosopher-geographers did speculations and conclusions as to the nature of the Earth begin to take form. Their mapmaking was preoccupied with more practical needs, such as the establishment of boundaries. Aside from this specimen, dating from about 1000 bce, there appear to have been rather few attempts by Babylonians and Egyptians to show the form and extent of the Earth as a whole. Later they made plats for the construction of canals, roads, and temples-the equivalent of today’s engineering plans.Ī tablet unearthed in Iraq shows the Earth as a disk surrounded by water with Babylon as its centre. Both were vitally concerned with the fertile areas of their river valleys and therefore doubtless made surveys and plats soon after settled communities were established. It is quite probable that these two civilizations developed their mapping skills more or less concurrently and in similar directions. The earliest specimens thus far discovered that are indisputably portrayals of land features are the Babylonian tablets previously mentioned certain land drawings found in Egypt and paintings discovered in early tombs are nearly as old. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today. ![]() Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. ![]()
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