ExplorationThe New World |
Is it true that Columbus deliberately fudged the circumference measurement so as to make a better case for his trip? |
Though most scholars believed that the circumference of the Earth was approximately 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers), Columbus used an estimate of 18,000 miles (29,000 kilometers) to push his case, in order to make his trip seem more achievable and the costs more reasonable. Columbus used Posidonus’ smaller estimate, rather than Eratosthenes’ larger and more accurate estimate, to make the trip appear shorter.