The realization that the world is round has ancient origins. Here are key milestones in this understanding:
1. **Ancient Greeks**: The idea of a spherical Earth was proposed by Greek philosophers as early as the 6th century BCE. Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BCE) is often credited with suggesting the concept, although it’s unclear if he viewed the Earth as a sphere. Later, Parmenides and Plato (5th-4th century BCE) also supported the spherical model.
2. **Aristotle (384–322 BCE)**: Aristotle provided several arguments for a spherical Earth, such as the circular shadow the Earth casts on the moon during a lunar eclipse and the way different stars are visible at different latitudes.
3. **Eratosthenes (c. 276–194 BCE)**: Eratosthenes made a remarkably accurate measurement of the Earth’s circumference using the angles of the sun’s rays at different locations.
4. **Sailors and Explorers**: The practical implications of a spherical Earth became more evident to sailors and explorers over time. By the Age of Exploration (15th-17th centuries), the spherical shape of the Earth was widely accepted among educated Europeans. Notably:
– **Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition (1519–1522)**: The first circumnavigation of the globe provided concrete proof that the Earth is round.
– **Christopher Columbus (1492)**: While Columbus mistakenly believed he could reach Asia by sailing west, his voyages further supported the understanding of a spherical Earth by demonstrating the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean and the existence of previously unknown continents.
By the time of these explorations, the concept of a round Earth was well-established and widely accepted among educated individuals and sailors. The progression from ancient philosophical arguments to empirical observations and finally to global exploration solidified the understanding of the Earth’s roundness.
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