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Who discovered that the World isn't flat?

Hey!

Can someone please tell me who discovered that the world isn't flat because it is driving me mad!!! Thanks!

Lou
xxx
Reply 1
Avatar for Kiesha
Kiesha
10
sparkly_tiara
Hey!

Can someone please tell me who discovered that the world isn't flat because it is driving me mad!!! Thanks!

Lou
xxx



All I know is that this was around about the Ancient Greek Era.
Reply 2
Avatar for tonka
tonka
7
sparkly_tiara
Hey!

Can someone please tell me who discovered that the world isn't flat because it is driving me mad!!! Thanks!

Lou
xxx

wasn't it columbus, didn't he try 2 sail of the edge of the world
Reply 3
Avatar for sparkly_tiara
sparkly_tiara
OP
2
yup it was him!! I thought it was and had written about him in my english exam today about famous historians and discoverers and then had doubts and couldn't find the answer anywhere but later found it!!! Wahoo!!

Lou
xxx
That Columbus discovered the world was round was a myth invented by the Victorians - he set out to discover a western passage to the spice-rich east, and bumped into a new continent on the way.

Magellan was the first to sail around the world, but people knew long before that the world was round.
Reply 5
Avatar for naelse
naelse
15
sparkly_tiara
yup it was him!! I thought it was and had written about him in my english exam today about famous historians and discoverers and then had doubts and couldn't find the answer anywhere but later found it!!! Wahoo!!

Lou
xxx


It was actually during Ancient Greek times.

"Libraries collected serious works and grew in number. Pergamum had a great library. The library at Alexandria, Egypt, became the most famous.
One mapmaker, Eratosthenese, described the world as round and gave a reasonable figure as its circumference. "

far before Columbus, I'm afraid. Though I'm sure you'll get away with it for your english exam
Reply 6
Avatar for zazy
zazy
1
sparkly_tiara
Hey!

Can someone please tell me who discovered that the world isn't flat because it is driving me mad!!! Thanks!

Lou
xxx

I'm still sure it was Galileo..
Reply 7
Avatar for jonas123
jonas123
1
he was the one that said the sun was at the centre of our 'solar' system i think? and probably got executed for such a preposterous claim!
Reply 8
Avatar for Geogger
Geogger
13
Wasn't it Ptolemy?
Reply 9
Avatar for naelse
naelse
15
well it definitely was well before Columbus. And Galileo. I remember seeing a carving in the Roman baths in Bath Spa that featured a round globe... and there has been documentation found from the Library in Alexandria. So the ancient world was round, at least to some people.
Reply 10
Avatar for Geogger
Geogger
13
In addition to his well known works in astronomy, Ptolemy was very important in the history of geography and cartography. Ptolemy of course knew that the Earth is a sphere. Ptolemy's is the first known projection of the sphere onto a plane. His Geography remained the principal work on the subject until thetime of Columbus. But he had Asia extending much too far east, which may have been a factor in Columbus's decision to sail west for the Indies.
(Found on google)
Reply 11
Avatar for naelse
naelse
15
Geogger
In addition to his well known works in astronomy, Ptolemy was very important in the history of geography and cartography. Ptolemy of course knew that the Earth is a sphere. Ptolemy's is the first known projection of the sphere onto a plane. His Geography remained the principal work on the subject until thetime of Columbus. But he had Asia extending much too far east, which may have been a factor in Columbus's decision to sail west for the Indies.
(Found on google)


Ptolemy (aka Claudius Ptolemaeus, Ptolomaeus, Klaudios Ptolemaios, Ptolemeus) lived in Alexandria (in Egypt) from approx. 87 -150 AD. Very little is known about his personal life (the image above is probably purely the artist's imagination)

that's the guy. from the library in Alexandria. good stuff.

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