In the days of Greek mythology, Atlas held the world (some say Neptune, it doesn't really matter) on his shoulders. So what did he hold? a globe, which means, in the days of Greek Mythology they knew that the planets were round, but up until Christopher Columbus we thought ours was flat.When was it changed, and who changed it? (From round to flat that is)
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The ancient educated Greeks knew the earth was a sphere and had come very close to calculating the circumference.
Nakiarogue
Level 5
July 27, 2018
2
It is a common mistake, popularised by bad illustrations but the Titan Atlas was not condemned by Zeus to hold up the world, but to hold up the sky.
He was made to stand on "the western edge of Gaia" and support the sky on his shoulders.
The presumption in the myth is that the world is flat not round.
The disk that atlas carries in pictures and sculpture in not the world but the night sky,
LenHazell53
Level 9
July 27, 2018
1
Yeah I think pictures of Atlas holding a globe are modern embellishments of an ancient mythos. Probably connected with the fitness / body building industries, where Atlas is something of a mascot.
@billy11 The Greeks called him Poseidon
The educated have known the world was a globe since antiquity. Sails appear before the ship over the horizon, the shadow of the earth is visible in lunar eclipses, shadow lengths vary with latitude. Just as the educated have always known there were no gods.
Gareth
Level 7
July 27, 2018
4
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