sign in sign up
<<
Home , Spherical Earth

The Corner HOW THE FLAT GOT ROUND : "AN ANCIENT HISTORY” BY J. FERGUSON

Long before the start of recorded earth involved the notion that history, the origins of the earth’s was the key to the universe, and that natural, physical and spiritual proper­ the earth was a flat disk floating on an ties were being studied by ancient infinite . civilizations. A pupil of Thales, a fellow named Several thousand years before the , is known to be the first birth of Christ, (2000-4000 BC) it is person to draw a map of the earth as he known that the Babylonian and Egyp­ saw it. He envisioned a cylindrical tian empires were discovering the earth (to explain the change in bases for mathematical and astronomi­ positions as he travelled) about an east- cal principles. It is a shame that the west axis. He also noted that the knowledge of what took place so long rotated about the Pole star, thus com­ ago was merely a memory, and was ing up with the idea that the sky was a recounted only through tales told to the complete . As opposed to Thales, first recorders of history about 1000 Anaximander thought that the fun­ BC. It is not entirely true that the damental element of the universe was science of writing letters and figures a mystical formless mass, although he began in 1000 BC. In fact, around 1650 still believed Thales’ theory that life BC, an Egyptian scribe called Ahmose originated with water. wrote a treatise summarizing the an­ Yet another Greek philosopher, cient Egyptian mathematics, but little Anaximenes, decided that Thales had of the written word has been found the correct notion about the earth as a from before this time. With the virtual flat plane or disk, but he added his idea elimination of the Aegean civilization of a fundamental substance to the in ancient Crete around 1480 BC, the equation. He thought that was the was put on hold until root of the universe, and he would have 700 or 800 BC. At this time, with the a , surrounded by water, emergence of a "technological revolu­ suspended by compressed air. tion" - the ability to produce metal About the time of the deaths of products - the birth of a new civilization Thales, Anaximander and took place. Once again, the profound Anaximenes, came the birth of yet elementary questions of who and (580 BC). Apart from his what we are came to the fore. teachings of Pythagoreaism, a secre­ At the time of this new Greek era, tive cult with quite odd beliefs, and his there was not an abundance of edu­ work in mathematics, Pythagoras was cated persons capable of the discoveries the first to speculate the earth was a that would follow. Most of the learned sphere. He also postulated on the mo­ were labelled "philosophers", and their tions of the planets, and moon, and studies included everything from his beliefs would remain valid until astronomy, medicine, astrology and Kepler revolutionized orbital theories philosophy to cult rituals and pagan in the late 16th century AD. Carrying worship. on the rationalist thinking of Thales, One of the first philosophers to go on Hecataeus, a contemporary of record with a version of what the earth Pythagoras, built upon the map- looked like was the Greek Thales (b. making work of Anaximander. He took 625 BC). It is thought that much of his the world as it was then known, and work in lunar and solar motion was divided it into a north half and a south based on knowledge he had gained half, with Europe and repre­ from travels to ancient Babylonia and senting the respective halves. In this . However, his own beliefs of the depiction, the

8 The Ontario Surveyor, 1990 HOW THE FLAT EARTH GOT ROUND "AN ANCIENT HISTORY” cont’d formed the dividing line and - as was from all points on its surface. At the cluded Europe and Britain, Asia and common at the time - the focal point. same time as was India, and south to about the Again, the "world" was surrounded by revolutionizing science, the Greek Arabian Gulf. In addition, all this land a vast body of water which he labelled geographer Dicaearchus described his was, according to Eratoshenes, sur­ Oceanus. version of the world, and was the first rounded by one interconnected ocean, Over the next hundred or so years, to consider the map of the world as part a theory which would not be proved navigators, astronomers and of a sphere. He built upon the dis­ until Magellan circumnavigated the philosophers from the Greek and coveries of some of the explorers of the world in the early 16th century. Phoenician civilizations followed with time, and was able to describe a line of The age of more modern theories of slightly different versions of the earth’s from east to west. This line the earth’s size and shape began again form and size. Some were of the "flat showed how all points on the line saw in earnest in the 13th and 14th cen­ earth" school, while others followed the noonday sun at equal angles from turies, at which time many new, per­ Pythagoras’s spherical theories. It was the zenith. haps more scientific, discoveries were also through this period, especially in Elaborating upon the work of made. However, to talk about the Greece, that moral philosphy was Dicaearchus, was a Greek geographer developments from this era to the taking over from natural philosopy, or and explorer called (b. 300 present would take a great deal more science, as the accepted area of inter­ BC). He was able to determine latitude space, of which I have no more. est. With the teachings of philosophers of his home town, and was the first to Thus, the earth had at last become such as and , the study point out that could be the result round, and man and woman alike could of the natural earth took a back seat for of influence by the moon. Although live comfortably in the knowledge that a while. It was not until some two these ideas are entirely commonplace they would not fall off, dare they jour­ hundred years after Hecataeus that a in the modern world, one must remem­ ney too far. But didn’t someone just ask new map of the earth was drawn by a ber the difficulty these ancient scien­ me if I wanted to join the Flat Earth Greek astronomer name Eudoxus (b. tists had in actually proving their Society .... 408 BC). In his works he also created a theories, let alone getting anyone to Next time in the Geodesy Corner - map of the stars, with divisions of the believe them. The Connection between Datums and sky in terms of degrees of latitude and By the time the Greek Eratoshenes . . As we know now, these came on the scene, the idea of a spheri­ would later be applied to the earth’s cal earth was becoming accepted by surface. scholars. Eratoshenes is generally REFERENCES: Among his many postulates and dis­ regarded as being one of the fathers of 1. Asimov, Issac. Asimov’s Biographical En­ coveries, one of the most important geodesy, and among his many dis­ cyclopedia of Science and Technology. theories the great Greek philosopher coveries, it is his historical measure­ ISBN 0-385-17771-2. Aristotle (b. 384 BC) proposed, was the ment of the latitude between 2. Vanicek, Petr and Edward J. Krakiwsky. reasoning behind a spherical earth. He and Aswan that made him 1982. Geodesy: The Concepts. ISBN 0-444- suggested that, since stars in the south most famous. This measurement deter­ 86149-1. New York: North-Holland disappear, and stars in the north ap­ mined the radius of the earth to be 6267 Publishing Company. as one travels northward, the kilometres - not bad for using range 3. The and Technology - A earth must be round. If it were flat, he poles and angles to the sun. At this Narrative Chronology. ISBN 0-87196-475- said, all stars would be equally visible point in history, Eratoshenes’ world in­ 9, Vol 1.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW ’REGISTERED’ MEMBERS AS OF JULY 1990 : 62

The Ontario Land Surveyor, Summer 1990 9