This is very informative presentation

1. Contribution of Greek
In Geography
Pushpender Nain
(Geo. Hons.)

2. Introduction:
Geography as a field of knowledge had its roots in Greek learning.
This is not the case surprising as in ancient times Greek was one of
the most prosperous civilizations ranging from 500BC-200BC with its
base in Greece and surrounding areas. Greek time is aptly called
The Golden Age “ because all Greeks offer A conceptual framework
that has guided western thinking for centuries. It was the most
developed economy in the world. Greek philosophers of the day
provided a theoretical and scholarly foundation for philosophical
thinking through models, concepts, and paradigms that have guided
Western scholars to many hundreds of years.

3. Major Greek Scholars:
• The list of ancient Greek philosophers contains philosophers who
studied in ancient Greece or spoke Greek.Ancient Greek
philosophy began in Miletus.

4. List of Greek Scholars :
1.Homer
2.Thales
3.Anaximander
4.Hacateaeus
5.Herodotus
6.Plato
7.Aristotle
8.Eratosthenes

5. Homer(750BC-700BC)
Key Points on Homer:
[i] Homer was a great poet
[ii] His work ‘Illiad’ & ‘Odessey’ (Describes Trojan War)
[iii] He describes four winds: [a] Bores (north wind), [b] Eurus
(east wind), [c] Notus (south wind), [d] Zephyrus (west wind)

6. Thales(624BC-545BC)
• Key Points on Thales.
• [i] Originated several theorems of geometry.
• [ii] Earth is disc/flat shape.
• [iii] Cosmology based on water as the essence of all matter.
• [iv] Founder of Mathematical Geography

7. Anaximander(610BC-546BC)
• Key Points on Anaximander
• [1] Anaximander was disciple/student of Thales.
• [2] He introduced Babylonian instrument known as Gnomon.
• [3] He prepared first map of the world to scale.mjy
• [4] His map was circular and bounded on all sides by ocean river.
• [5] Often called as Father of Cosmology and Founder of Astronomy.
• [6] Latitude and longitude term coined by him.
• [7] Anaximander is also known as Founder of mathematical Geography.

8. Hecateaeus (the Father of Geography) (550
BC – 476 BC)
• Key Points on Hecateaeus:
• [1] He is known as Father of Geography.
• [2] His main book is Ges-Periods (Description of the Earth)
• [3] He was the first writer of Greek prose.
• [4] His work Periplus (Greek word)
• meaning coastal survey.
• [5] He divided world into two parts: (i) Europa, and (ii) Libya (Africa including
Asia).
• [6] Hecateaus gave two approaches in geography – a. Nomothetic (Law making)
b. Idiographic (Descriptive).
• [7] Earth is a circular plane.

9. Herodotus (The Father of History) (485-425
BC):
• Key Points on Herodotus:
• [1] He is regarded as Father of History.
• [2] Ethnographer
• [3] He advocated that ‘All history must be treated geographically and all
geography must be treated historically.’
• [4] First Scholar to draw a meridian in the world map
• [5] First scholar who regarded Caspian Sea as an inland sea.
• [6] Shape of the Earth – Flat disc.
• [7] Divided world landmass into three continents Europe, Asia and Libya.
• [8] Egypt is a gift of river Nile.
• [9] First time gave concept on winds moves from cold to hot places.

10. [6] Plato: (428-347 BC):
• Key Points on Plato:
• [1] Master of deductive reasoning – from the general to the
particular.
• [2] Idea of Round Earth
• [3] Barren land – “like skeleton of a sick man”
• [4] Man as an active agent.

11. Aristotle (384-322 BC):
• Key Points on Aristotle:
• [1] Master of inductive reasoning – from the particular to the
general.
• [2] Idea of Spherical Earth
• [3] Formulated laws or fundamental principles of scientific
explanation.
• [4] Book: Meteorologica – describe about the origin of tides.

12. Eratosthenes (276-194 BC):
• Key Points on Eratosthenes
• [1] First scientific Geographer
• [2] The term geography was first coined by Eratosthenese
• [3] Father of Geodesy
• [4] Founder of Systematic Geography
• [5] He adopted view of Aristotle & regarded the shape of the earth as sphere.
• [6] He developed systems of latitudes and longitudes
• [7] He measure accurate length of equator
• [8] Circumferences of the earth by Eratosthenes 25000 miles, but actual 24860
miles

13. Thank you😇