“He drew the first map of the inhabited world, and the first celestial sphere.”
— AnaximanderTestimony in Agathemerus, Geography 1.1, and Diogenes Laertius 2.1-2; paraphrase, not verbatim
Commentary
This report credits Anaximander with the first geographical map and the first representation of the heavens as a sphere, a claim transmitted in late geographical writing. If accurate, it would show the Milesian interest in representing the earth and its relation to the heavens in spatial terms. Kirk, Raven, and Schofield note the difficulty of dating such claims, since the testimony is late and the map is not preserved. Charles Kahn argues that a spatial model of the cosmos is consistent with his doctrine of the earth's central position, and that the map may reflect the same geometrical outlook. Jonathan Barnes cautions that the attribution of 'first maps' is a common topos in ancient writing and should be treated with scepticism. Guthrie discusses the report as evidence of a tradition that linked Anaximander with the beginnings of geography. The sentence is a paraphrase of a late testimony and should be labelled as a traditional attribution.
Commentary
This report credits Anaximander with the first geographical map and the first representation of the heavens as a sphere, a claim transmitted in late geographical writing. If accurate, it would show the Milesian interest in representing the earth and its relation to the heavens in spatial terms. Kirk, Raven, and Schofield note the difficulty of dating such claims, since the testimony is late and the map is not preserved. Charles Kahn argues that a spatial model of the cosmos is consistent with his doctrine of the earth's central position, and that the map may reflect the same geometrical outlook. Jonathan Barnes cautions that the attribution of 'first maps' is a common topos in ancient writing and should be treated with scepticism. Guthrie discusses the report as evidence of a tradition that linked Anaximander with the beginnings of geography. The sentence is a paraphrase of a late testimony and should be labelled as a traditional attribution.