Who came up with the theory that the world is round not flat?

Question

Who came up with the theory that the world is round not flat?

Answer 1

Thankfully, Pythagoras was able to express his views of a round world about 540 BC before the world was dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. I thought he was the first but I was wrong:

The correct answer would be Yajnavalkya.

Yajnavalkya (c. 9th–8th century BCE) recognized that the Earth is spherical in his astronomical text Shatapatha Brahmana. This is also recognized in another Vedic Sanskrit text Aitareya Brahmana composed around the same time, and in a later Sanskrit commentary Vishnu Purana

References
1- Haug, Martin and Basu, Major B. D. (1974). The Aitareya Brahmanam of the Rigveda, Containing the Earliest Speculations of the Brahmans on the Meaning of the Sacrifical Prayers. ISBN 0-404-57848-9.
2- Joseph, George G. (2000). The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics, 2nd edition. Penguin Books, London. ISBN 0691006598.
3- Teresi, Dick (2002). Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science - from the Babylonians to the Maya. Simon & Schuster, New York. ISBN 0-684-83718-8.
4- Kak, Subhash C. (2000). 'Birth and Early Development of Indian Astronomy'. In Selin, Helaine (2000). Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Astronomy (303-340). Kluwer, Boston. ISBN 0-7923-6363-9.
5- Blavatsky, H. P. (1877). 'Science. Chapter I'. Isis Unveiled

http://www.sankaracharya.org/library/Brhadaranyaka.pdf

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Who came up with the theory that the world is round not flat?
Who came up with the theory that the world is round not flat?

Answer 3

Most peole would say Columbus, but it was certainly known to Pliney the Elder, and the ancient Greeks had actually estimated the circumference of the planet to be something like 26,000 miles (which is pretty impressive since the actual value is just under 25,000 miles). The identity of the first person to think that the Earth might really be round and not flat has been 'lost in antiquity' as the saying goes.

Doug

Answer 4

Well i can't tell you and exactly "who" because alot of scientists did. You see when they were trying to get the consept of the suns movement they decided that scientists in various parts of the country should write down the time when the sun hit the bottom center of a well. So when the sun would hit the center of the well the man would write down the time. That day a reasearcher found that the sun never reached the exact center of the well. The colaberated and relized that earth must be round. People Back then all thought the world was flat except for the weathy who were educated enough. And because Christopher Columbus was educated he knew that he was not sailing to his doom but AROUND the world. Which makes you think he's brvae but not as brave as most think. Isnt that crazy? all the years we hear they were sailing to his "doom" and he knew they wouldnt fall off.

Answer 5

Magellan because there is a story when he is traveling to discover the Philippines when he is traveling he discovered that when he is continuously traveling from the right he repeatedly seeing the island of the Philippines again and again and the people thought that the world is flat then if you travel you will fall to the outer space but the people was wrong it is true that world is round not flat and Magellan discovered it.... because he is the first man to sail around the world..

Answer 6

The Greek philosopher and even the Egyptian and Chinese already know that earth is neither flat nor round, it is spherical. In fact I wonder more about who is the stupid person who came up with the idea that the world is flat.

Answer 7

Before the scientists discovered thst the earth is not flat it is round It was written already in the Bible that the earth is round.

I can't recall the verse but It says The earth is ROUND and HE(GOD) hangeth upon nothing.

Answer 8

Eratosthenese, an ancient Greek mathemetician, proved the Earth was round about 200 years BCE. The idea was probably around before that, but we have no way of knowing who might have come up with the idea first.

Answer 9

Early civilizations, such as the Mayans, were not officially credited with the discovery, but many figured it out anyway. You can tell the Earth is a sphere from watching a lunar eclipse. Since there are two a year, eventually you'd figure it out.

Answer 10

I think the Greek philosophers were the first to come up with the proof that it was round. One proof was sailing ships approaching the horizon, another was the shadow of the Earth on the moon