Statue of Limitations

[history79]

Source: https://thenib.com/statue-of-limitations/

Comments

[lieut_kettch]

It was Magellan that circumnavigated the world though. Well, not really, since he died halfway through the journey, passing through my neck of the woods.

[alicemacher]

That, and educated people, from fifth-century B.C.E. Greece onward, already knew the world was a sphere.

[thediiem]

Not even educated people! Anyone in ancient societies that lived on the water and most that lived in the mountains! It frustrating that the fucking myth about the Earth's flatness from the Christopher Columbus biography took root in the public consciousness.

[zachbeacon]

Actually everyone knew the world was round because, if it was flat, cats would have knocked everything off it by now

[velacron]

Yep, the "Myth of the Flat Earth" was invented by Enlightenment writers in order to advance their beliefs by making the people of the past seem stupid by comparison.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Ages_(historiography)#Modern_popular_use

[jeyl]

Star Trek V fell for the same trap by literally stating that 'Columbus proved it was round'.