People in medieval times knew the Earth was round

In popular culture, the Middle Ages are often depicted as a time of darkness, where scientific knowledge was lost to the superstitions of the era. Among these misconceptions is the belief that people during the medieval period thought the Earth was flat. This blog aims to dispel this myth, providing evidence that not only did medieval scholars understand that the Earth was round, but this knowledge was also relatively widespread.

The Ancient Roots of a Spherical Earth

The Legacy of the Greeks

The idea that the Earth is spherical dates back to ancient Greece. Philosophers such as Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BCE) and Plato (c. 428–348 BCE) proposed a spherical Earth based on observational reasoning and philosophical considerations. However, it was Aristotle (384–322 BCE) who provided empirical arguments for the Earth’s roundness, including the observation that the Earth casts a round shadow on the moon during a lunar eclipse and that travelers going south see southern constellations rise higher above the horizon.

Eratosthenes and the Measurement of the Earth’s Circumference

Eratosthenes (c. 276–194 BCE), a Greek mathematician, took the understanding of a spherical Earth further by estimating its circumference. Using observations of the sun’s angle at two different locations at the same time, he calculated the Earth’s circumference with remarkable accuracy. His work underscored not just the Greeks’ belief in a spherical Earth but also their capability to apply this knowledge to complex calculations.

Transmission of Knowledge to the Medieval World

The Role of the Early Christian Church

Contrary to the belief that the Christian Church suppressed scientific knowledge during the Middle Ages, many early Church Fathers, including Saint Augustine (354–430 AD), acknowledged the Earth’s roundness. These religious scholars often referred to the works of ancient philosophers to support their theological arguments, indirectly preserving and transmitting the concept of a spherical Earth through the Dark Ages.

Islamic Scholars and the Preservation of Greek Knowledge

During the early medieval period, Islamic scholars played a crucial role in preserving and expanding upon the scientific works of the Greeks. Figures like Al-Khwarizmi (c. 780–850 AD) and Al-Biruni (973–1048 AD) contributed significantly to astronomy and geography, basing their understanding on the premise that the Earth was spherical. Through the translation movement in places such as the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, this knowledge was eventually transmitted back to Europe.

Medieval Europe’s Understanding of a Round Earth

The Scholastic Movement

By the High Middle Ages, the Scholastic movement, which sought to reconcile faith and reason, had embraced the concept of a spherical Earth. Scholars like Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) argued that reason and faith were complementary, using the natural world, including the Earth’s shape, as evidence of divine order.

Navigational and Cartographic Evidence

The practical needs of navigation during the medieval period further reinforced the understanding of a round Earth. The development of the astrolabe, a navigational tool that allowed sailors to measure the altitude of celestial bodies, and the creation of more accurate maps, known as portolan charts, reflected and relied on knowledge of the Earth’s sphericity.

Debunking the Flat Earth Myth

The Myth’s Origin

The myth that medieval people believed in a flat Earth can be traced back to the 19th century, particularly to the work of Washington Irving and John William Draper. Their writings, aimed at criticizing the Catholic Church, falsely claimed that medieval scholars insisted on a flat Earth.

Modern Scholarship’s Consensus

Today, historians of science agree that the flat Earth myth is a misconception. Medieval scholars, far from being ignorant of the Earth’s shape, were well aware of and indeed taught its roundness as a fact.

Conclusion

The belief that medieval people thought the Earth was flat is a myth that has persisted in popular culture, despite ample evidence to the contrary. From the ancient Greeks to Islamic scholars and medieval European academics, the understanding of the Earth’s roundness has been a continuous thread in the fabric of scientific knowledge. This enduring legacy highlights the importance of critically examining historical misconceptions and appreciating the complexities of medieval thought.

FAQ

How did medieval scholars prove the Earth was round? Medieval scholars relied on a variety of proofs to support the Earth’s roundness, many of which were inherited from ancient Greek philosophy and science. These included observations of lunar eclipses, where the Earth’s shadow on the Moon is always round, and the changing visibility of stars and constellations as one travels north or south. Additionally, the way ships disappear hull-first over the horizon was also cited as evidence for the Earth’s curvature.

Were there any medieval maps that depicted the Earth as flat? While some medieval maps, like the Mappa Mundi, might appear to depict a flat Earth due to their stylized and symbolic nature, these were not intended as literal representations of the Earth’s shape. These maps were more about illustrating theological concepts or presenting known world geography in a way that was useful for their intended purposes, such as pilgrimage or moral instruction, rather than scientific accuracy.

Did Christopher Columbus believe the Earth was flat? No, this is another myth. Columbus and his contemporaries were well aware that the Earth was round; his voyages were based on the premise of reaching Asia by sailing west from Europe. The disagreement between Columbus and some of his contemporaries was not over the shape of the Earth but over its size and the distance to Asia.

Why is the myth of a flat Earth associated with the Middle Ages? The myth of a flat Earth became associated with the Middle Ages due to the works of 19th-century writers who sought to characterize the medieval period as a time of ignorance and superstition, contrasting it with their view of the Enlightenment as a period of reason and scientific discovery. This narrative was appealing because it simplified the complex transition between these historical periods and served various ideological purposes.

How did the knowledge of a spherical Earth impact medieval society? Knowledge of a spherical Earth had several impacts on medieval society, especially in the realms of navigation, trade, and education. Navigators and sailors used the understanding of the Earth’s roundness to develop more accurate methods for sea travel and exploration. This knowledge also influenced the design of astronomical instruments and the development of early universities’ curricula, where the natural sciences, including geography and astronomy, were taught based on the understanding of a spherical Earth.