CHAPTER IV.
EARLY GEOGRAPHICAL SPECULATIONS: HECATAEUS.

Speculations on Mathematical Geography—Anaximander, circ. 580 B.C.—
Spherical Form of the Earth—Theory of Zones—Speculations on Physical
Geography—Volcanic Phenomena—The Delta of Egypt—Inundation of
the Nile—Explanations of it, by Thales, Hecataeus, Anaxagoras, Hero-
dotus, Aristotle, and Eratosthenes—Invention of the Gnomon—Map-mak-
ing—Its Early Difficulties—Aristagoras and his Map at Sparta, 400 B.C.—

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if—Dr

Delphi the Centre of the Earth's Surface—Origin of the Belief—Division
of the World into Continents—Twofold or Threefold Partition—Principles
of Demarcation—Boundary of Europe and Asia—Names of the Continents
—Their Origin—Hecataeus of Miletus (arc. 520 B.C.) the Father of
Geography—His Political Wisdom—His Sources of Information—His
Geographical Work—Its Arrangement—Its General Geography—Its
Contents—Europe—Asia—Africa.
HAVING thus traced the opportunities of acquiring knowledge
of distant countries which the Greeks obtained by
... , • , L Speculations
means of their colonial system, we may now turn on Mathema-
to another branch of the subject, which advanced ticaalhGeo"
alongside of this, viz. their earliest enquiries into
the subject of scientific geography. In this matter the same city,
Miletus, which, as we have seen, led the way in the work of
sending forth colonies, was the first to set on foot investigations.
The wealth which had flowed into that place through its commerce
provided a certain class of its inhabitants with leisure for study
and reflexion, and at the same time the information which was
accumulated from many quarters by their widely extended con-
nexions supplied ample materials for the exercise of ingenious
speculation. It was thus that the Ionian school of philosophers
aiose, in whose system questions about the physical constitution
of the world held a prominent position. These thinkers, it is
true, had not as yet emancipated themselves from the Homeric
conception of the Earth as a circular plane; but a great advance