What effect did Ferdinand Magellan’s quest have on common knowledge?
NaimFrasheri asked:
I’m not talking about proof that the world can be circumnavigated or that a certain land mass exists.
I’m not talking about proof that the world can be circumnavigated or that a certain land mass exists.
For those of you familiar with European History and his quest, I ask you what his journey says for the age, for the renaissance, and for the SHATTERING OF THE MEDIEVAL MIND.
Thank you.
before his voyage common knowledge was the world was flat. magellan’s voyage around the world proved it was round.
Comment by baserunner316 — April 2, 2006 @ 3:11 am
Magellan knew the Earth was not the center of the Earth but to say anything else at the time was heresy by the Church.
He often would be noted as qouting from Copernicus who’s writing were banned do to his original thinking.
Magellan stirred quite the contreversy within the catholic Church at the time and though he was a devote Catholic he was also a man of science and had a curious mind. He developed great telescopes of his age (not like today’s of course) but he helped navigation become more accurate as well as map making. Magellan like Davinci and other’s were ahead of their day’s with their thinking.
Had he not renounced his beliefs and said they were just hypothetical talk he would have been given to the inquisitors and we all know what happened to those who ended in the clutches of the inquisitors.
Just years after his death, Columbus proved him right but he was not alive to gloat over the Church.
Hope that is what you were looking for.
Comment by rexbones — April 4, 2006 @ 1:55 am