Who first argued that the world was not flat?
Flat Earth Mimnermus, Aeschylus, and Apollonius Rhodius. Homer's description of the disc cosmography on the shield of Achilles with the encircling ocean is repeated far later in Quintus Smyrnaeus' "Posthomerica" (4th century AD), which continues the narration of the Trojan War. Several pre-Socratic philosophers believed that the world was flat: Thales (c. 550 BC) according to several sources, and Leucippus (c. 440 BC) and Democritus (c. 460–370 BC) according to Aristotle. Thales thought the Earth floated in water like a log. It has been argued, however, that Thales actually believed in a round Earth. Anaximander (c. 550 BC) believed the Earth was
The World That Never Was and anti-revolutionaries of the period. David Peers, in the anarchist newspaper "Freedom", recommended the "racily and colourfully written" book while pointing outs its omission of anarcho-syndicalism and anarchism in Ukraine and Mexico. Socialist feminist writer Sheila Rowbotham, writing in "The Independent", wrote that ""The World That Never Was" conveys the labyrinthine coils of conspirators and spies with graphic panache" but noted Butterworth's failure to convey his characters' ideals and motives, and his imprecise referencing style. Leo McKinstry of the "Daily Express" praised the book's scope and its "rich cast of characters" but argued it was let down by Butterworth's style