The earth is a globe

Of course, for all of you listeners it is totally clear that we are living on a globe whereas people in the Middle Ages were totally convinced that they built their houses on a disk. But who figured out that our planet is formed like a ball?

Probably, you are aware of the explorer Magellan who proved the round shape through travelling around the world by ship in the 16th century. This man wanted to scout different areas apart from Europe and his curiosity urged him on. Though, he had to ask the king of his kingdom for a financiering of his plans.Nevertheless, he managed to get donations as well as his world trip which took him three years and finally yielded him the cognition that the world is a globe.

Well, let me tell you a second story – this time we have to go back to the antique Greece.
Around 2300 years ago, the famous philosopher Aristoteles observed ships disappearing on the horizon until he was able to see no more than their masts. He concluded that this phenomenon is only possible in case our earth is round.
Therefore, he was determined to find evidence. During a lunar eclipse the moon seemed to be like a huge screen comparable with those in cinemas and Aristoteles was able to watch a black circle on it.  Smart as he was, the old philosopher inferred that this had to be the shadow of our green planet and only a globular shape cast circular shadows from every position.

But if Aristoteles already figured that out thousands of years before the Middle Ages, why was Magellan’s finding so revolutionary in the 16th century and why were before  him people  believing our earth would be flat as a flounder? Did I may only fox you with my explanation which includes the typical old Greek philosopher?

I hope I gave you some food for thought and that you will search out the right answer!