The Greeks transmitted knowledge of a round Earth--and approximate measurements--to the Romans, who in turn passed it on to the Middle Ages. The occasional flat-earther would surface (much as today), but most educated people knew. I don't know for sure about non-Western traditions, but I think that lunar eclipses have been clues to many peoples over time that the Earth is round, and it's often represented that way in art (again, I'm most familiar with the Western tradition).
As another medievalist said, "You know that orb thing rulers hold in medieval portraits? If they thought the Earth was flat, it would be a spatula!"
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Date: 2007-08-22 10:04 pm (UTC)As another medievalist said, "You know that orb thing rulers hold in medieval portraits? If they thought the Earth was flat, it would be a spatula!"
You have a cool avatar for this item! I gotta get some more avatars.