Anaximander was one of the pioneer cartographers to create the map of the world. Born in between 611-610 BC, this map maker of ancient world made important contributions to the sciences of astronomy and geography.
Anaximander was the student and disciple of Thales with whom he engaged in philosophical dialogue. This map maker finds his mention in Aristotle’s work, who categorized him as the pupil of the physical school of thought, propounded by Thales. Anaximander published his philosophical ideas in the book entitled On Nature, which is no longer available. Some of his other popular works are listed below:
- Around the Earth
- The Sphere
- On Fixed Bodies
A reputed cartographer, Anaximander presented the inhabited regions in his map of the world. The map appeared in tablet and featured Ionia in the center. The world map was bound on the east by the Caspian Sea. It stretched to the Pillars of Hercules in the west. Middle Europe borders the map in the North while Ethiopia and the Nile featured on the southern end of the map of Anaximander.
Anaximander also engaged in creating a model of the cosmos based on mathematical and geometrical calculations. His model of the cosmos represented the planets along with the sun, which was 27 times bigger in size than the Earth. Anaximander is also known for introducing the concept of the gnomon in Greece.
Along with his cartographic representations, Anaximander gained immense popularity for his theory of Apeiron, which raises arguments on the infinite. Anaximander contributed immensely to the subjects of cartography and geography and his map of the world was a great achievement of the time.